Iñigo Martínez, a painful goodbye that has yet to settle the score at Barcelona.

Iñigo Martínez will be leaving FC Barcelona for Al-Nassr, the Saudi Arabian club of Cristiano Ronaldo and João Félix. This Friday, the Basque center-back collected his belongings at the Ciutat Esportiva and said goodbye to his teammates, including a visit from president Joan Laporta, before leaving in the afternoon to join his future club.

Last summer, Saudi Arabia already pursued Iñigo Martínez, and now the 34-year-old defender will leave on a free transfer. His contract, after his last renewal until 2026, stipulated that if an offer of this caliber came in, the club would not interfere and would not ask for a transfer. An opportunity that, at his age, he couldn't refuse.

On the sporting side, the Blaugrana team loses a starting center back (he was in the starting lineup for every Champions League match except one in which he was available), and he leaves a significant void in the leadership of the dressing room. In return, he helps ease the burden on the Blaugrana club's coffers by freeing up around 14 million euros in fair play , facilitating registrations; however, it's still not enough to reach the 1:1 rule. There's only one week left until the start of La Liga.

Pau Cubarsí is already wearing Iñigo's number 5, and Ter Stegen, who has a disciplinary case opened by the club , also appears without a number on LaLiga's website. For now, the number 1 remains unlisted, as Joan García and Wojciech Szczęsny are also unregistered.

With the departure of Iñigo Martínez, Flick loses a key player in his defensive system, crucial to the plan to eliminate the offside trap. Barça was aware of the overbooking in the center of defense with five players: Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, Eric García, Pau Cubarsí, and Iñigo Martínez, in addition to Jules Koundé, who has successfully converted into a full-back. The first two were the most likely options to leave Barcelona, but both have decided to stay at the club. With Iñigo's departure, part of the balance that Hansi Flick had built is broken .

The Basque national team player joined the Catalan club on a free transfer in the summer of 2023 from Athletic Club. With Xavi Hernández leading the team and hampered by injuries, he struggled to find consistency, playing only 25 competitive matches. But this season he has been undisputed for Flick: 46 matches, 3,976 minutes, surpassed only by his usual partner, Cubarsí (4,213), in defence. Behind him are Eric García (2,104), Araujo (1,560), and Christensen (259). Now, he leaves behind a leadership void and a farewell to a player Flick counted on.

This isn't the first time Barcelona has faced a summer marked by financial emergencies and painful departures. Since Laporta's return to the presidency, there have been similar episodes: the traumatic departure of Leo Messi in 2021 to a Barcelona in crisis, that of Antoine Griezmann to free up space, or the departure of Pierre -Emerick Aubameyang after just six months, during the summer of 2022, when Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Koundé were signed, requiring a personal endorsement from president Joan Laporta and treasurer Ferran Olivé to sign. There was also the departure of Ousmane Dembélé, "untransferable" for Xavi Hernández—who ended up "disappointed" with the player's desire to leave—but which was a relief for the club's coffers. Last summer, it was Gündogan's turn, a starter for the entire previous season, but at a time when the club needed time to sign players like Dani Olmo, which was ultimately resolved with Christensen's injury. Each case has its own nuances, but all have one common denominator: alleviating the financial crunch.

Now it's Iñigo's turn. In addition to the €14 million he released from his departure, the departures of Pablo Torre, Ansu Fati, and Pau Víctor add up to around €20 million. But Barcelona, as long as it remains oversupplied, will only be able to use a portion of what it frees up. It hasn't yet reached a 1:1 ratio. Barça signed a sponsorship deal with the Democratic Republic of Congo for around €40 million over four years, or €10 million per season. But it needs the auditor and the management association to validate the €100 million for the 475 VIP seats at the new Spotify Camp Nou , which in the past weren't counted because they weren't an asset. Now, the work has progressed and is at least built. The auditor must finalize the deal, but there's only one week left until the start of La Liga.

The departure of Iñigo Martínez doesn't alone resolve the squad's wage overhang, but it does bring us closer to being able to register some of the four outstanding players: Joan García, Marcus Rashford, Szczęsny, and Gerard Martín. The center-back leaves with an irresistible offer and the gratitude of a dressing room that has lost a leader. Barça gains some financial oxygen, but loses defensive standing, just as the La Liga season looms and the Blaugrana team needs certainty on the pitch.