Barcelona ready to match €32m release clause for Manchester City target

Barcelona will step up their efforts to sign Real Sociedad defender Inigo Martinez and are prepared to match his €32m (£28.7m) release clause, reports Basque newspaper Noticias De Gipuzkoa, via Football Espana.

Martinez has been feverishly linked with a move to Manchester City this summer as Pep Guardiola looks to sign a new centre-back, but the Spain international could now be set to stay in his native country.

The 26-year-old still has four years remaining on his existing deal but there is a release clause in his contract that would allow Barcelona to prize the defender away from the Basque country for a suitable fee considering the inflated prices already seen in the transfer market.

Barcelona are set to receive a world-record £193m from the sale of Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain and Ernesto Valverde will have that money available to reshape the squad ahead of the new season.

In the last five La Liga campaigns Martinez has won possession in the defensive third more times than any other player (566), while only two outfielders have completed more accurate long balls than the Sociedad No.6 (840) in that period.