Barcelona make steady progress in renewing defender’s contract until 2031

Barcelona make steady progress in renewing defender’s contract until 2031 Barcelona have been working hard even after the end of the summer transfer window, and the focus of Deco and Co. has now shifted to contract renewals. Earlier this week, Barcelona’s sporting director confirmed that Raphinha’s contract renewal was imminent and they have even been working closely with the likes of Xavi Espart and Marc Bernal for extensions. Now, MARCA bring to light that the administration are also working hard to complete the renewal of another first-team regular – Gerard Martin. A clear path Indeed, Deco and Co. now see Martin’s renewal to be a priority given the team’s current situation in the centre-back department. The report adds that the initial signs have been promising. Set for a long-term deal. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images) The club have already held talks with Martin’s representatives over the terms of a new renewal, and there is an agreement from both sides that they must continue to work together. However, the contacts are still in the initial stages and a lot of discussions remain before a clear direction can be assigned to the negotiations. A long-term commitment The Spanish outlet also confirm that Barcelona are planning to hand out the young defender a relatively long term deal. Their idea is to extend the player’s contract until 2030 or 2031. His current deal ends in 2028 after his most recent extension in 2025. Barcelona want to hand out Martin a long-term deal. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) At the moment, there is serious uncertainty about whether Barcelona will sign another elite centre-back in the coming transfer windows, especially given how they have massive stadium renovation-linked costs for the upcoming summer. In that sense, keeping Gerard Martin on improved terms would be a great decision, especially given how he has emerged as a handy starting option alongside Pau Cubarsi. After all, he will remain a key starter this season given Andreas Christensen’s fitness struggles. So far this season, Martin has started five league games for Barcelona and made six appearances in the competition. He has overseen three clean sheets in the process and averages over eight defensive actions per game. With Christensen now likely to be out for two months, he will have to step up and perform at a high level to keep Barcelona’s defence watertight. After all, there have been some doubts on his level in recent games, and he has a point to prove.