Barcelona will look to reinforce squad in key area following departure of star man in the summer: Reports

Barcelona are reportedly plotting a move ot sign a left center-back in the January window. The club has acknowledged that the departure of Inigo Martinez has left a gap in the squad and are working to fill the void.

According to a report by Roger Torello (via BarcaTimes), Hansi Flick has asked the club to get a defender when the window opens and the club are looking for the best possible options. They failed to sign a replacement for Martinez in the summer, after his sudden decision to join Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

The Catalan side have made a decent start to the season, but want to ensure that they end with trophies and are working on signing the right players in January. They were linked with Palmeiras star Luiz Benedetti in the summer, but did not get a deal over the line.

The report adds that Flick is not guaranteed a defender in January, as the club will only make a move for the right player when the window opens. They are still operating on a tight budget and will evaluate options that suit both the system and their financial conditions.

Inigo Martinez left Barcelona shocked after decision in the summer

Inigo Martinez admitted that he left Barcelona teammates and staff stunned with his decision to leave the club in the summer. He added that it was the right time to make the switch and said (via OJogo):

"It was a shock for many. Nowadays, in football, everything changes from one day to the next. On an economic level, this league cannot be compared with any of the others. Looking at my career and what I have achieved, it was the right time to take this step, these trains pass once and it is difficult to say no. No one is prepared to see this type of contract, when they ask us, we don't even believe it."

“I spoke to Flick on the way back from the tour because I didn’t want to either. We had had enough with the way the tour was going. It caught him by surprise, but he understood it perfectly from minute two. It was a pleasant talk, and I was very sorry because there was a mutual appreciation. It was sad at the same time."

Martinez had the option to leave for free in the summer due to a clause in his contract. His decision to leave helped Barcelona register Marcus Rashford, who joined on loan from Manchester United.