Hansi Flick wants Barcelona to register star defender before Valencia clash - Reports

Barcelona are certainly in a difficult position for the second consecutive season. They are yet to register several players due to the club’s financial situation and exceeding La Liga’s salary limits.

Barca seek to resolve the issue by offloading multiple players. But head coach Hansi Flick wants to ensure that defender Inigo Martinez is registered before their opening La Liga game against Valencia on Saturday, August 17.

Flick seems impressed with Martinez and could well plan to include him in the starting lineup for the early matches, despite the number of defensive options available to the Catalan club.

Martinez joined as a free agent last season and was initially set to sign a two-year deal with the club. However, due to Barcelona’s challenging financial situation, registering him in time for the season proved difficult.

He was eventually registered very late in the transfer window after the club reportedly asked him to take a pay cut. Although he declined, the Spaniard was included because Barcelona managed to offload a few players on transfer deadline day to meet the wage limit. Ultimately, Martinez signed only a one-year deal and may face a similar late registration this time.

According to journalist Fernando Polo, the former Real Sociedad star could become a key player under Flick. The German tactician is pleased with Martinez's performance and has shown confidence in his abilities.

Notably, the 33-year-old center-back started three of Barcelona’s five pre-season games. He was the only defender to complete 90 minutes in their 3-0 defeat to Monaco in the Joan Gamper Trophy on Monday, August 12.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick expects improvement after defeat to Monaco

Barcelona’s pre-season campaign in the United States was solid, highlighted by a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid and strong performances in draws against Manchester City and AC Milan.

However, they faced a reality check with a heavy defeat to Monaco in front of their home crowd. Hansi Flick’s men struggled to get into the game and appeared vulnerable defensively. Second-half goals from Lamine Camara (50'), Breel Embolo (57'), and Christian Mawissa (86') secured a comfortable win for the French side.

Barcelona’s next challenge will be against Valencia on the opening day of La Liga. Reflecting on their struggles in the Joan Gamper Trophy, Flick expressed his disappointment. But he certainly expects a better performance from his team in the upcoming week.

“I know how the team is capable of playing, we saw it in America, today (against Monaco) was not a good game against a good opponent, but in Valencia we will play differently and I am sure we will play another game. We can play better. We have five days to prepare for the match against Valencia, to improve the pressure and our game. I’m sure we’ll do better on Saturday," Flick said (via Barcauniversal).