- Martinez says Al-Nassr salary was “hard to say no” to
- 34-year-old joined Saudi Club as a free-agent
- The Spanish international won domestic treble with Barca last season
After making a surprise move from برشلونة to Al-Nassr, Martinez has admitted that he couldn’t turn down the jaw-dropping offer from the Saudi club. The 34-year-old defender, who joined Barca in 2023, said he would have considered staying at the Catalan side if his contract had longer than a year left to run on it.
Martinez joined the Catalan side from Athletic Club in 2023 and played a key role in a squad that lifted La Liga, Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana. After limited opportunities with previous coach Xavi, the Spaniard thrived under Hansi Flick, making 46 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring three goals and providing six assists.
However, with just one year left on his contract, the veteran centre-back accepted Al-Nassr’s offer, signing as a free agent to join a team featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and new signing Joao Felix.
Talking to Onda Vasca Martinez opened up about his surprising move to Saudi, admitting that it wasn’t an easy decision for him and his family.
“On a financial level, you can’t compare that league with any of the others these days,” he said. “Looking at my career and what I’d achieved, it was time to take the step. A player’s journey is short: I’m 34 years old, and these trains come once, if they come at all, and it’s hard to say no. The moment you see the offer, you can’t even believe it: no one is prepared for that. I had been a pawn in football. You have to be there to understand what an offer like that is.”
He added: “I certainly would have thought about staying if I’d had more years with Barça. Because my salary was significant, not that it was a low salary, and we were happy. Whether you like it or not, coming to this country… it’s a tough decision to make; not only dragging my wife along, but also my children, everything changes. Maybe I would have thought about it more, yes.”
The quick change from expecting to stay at Barca to joining Al-Nassr came as a shock, saying: “Look, it came as a surprise to many. And aside from the fact that I got on well with the fans, I generated that excitement, and in the end, my leaving came as a surprise to them, but that’s how football works, and these days we’re used to changes happening overnight.”
Martinez could make his debut for Al-Nassr in the Saudi كأس السوبر semi-final against Al-Ittihad on August 19. Barcelona, meanwhile, have identified 20-year-old Argentine centre-back Geronimo Spina from أتلتيكو مدريد‘s reserve team as Martinez’s ideal replacement. The Catalan club is in talks with the player’s agent to agree on personal terms before making a formal approach to Atletico.
