Barcelona sporting director meets agent of La Liga defender considered as Bastoni alternative | OneFootball

Barcelona are actively working on a deal to sign their top defensive target this summer in the form of Alessandro Bastoni.

Recent reports even suggest that the club are close to reaching an agreement with the player, but securing a deal with Inter Milan will be the tough part.

That is why Barcelona are also scouring the market for alternatives and that is where Jon Martin comes into the fray.

Deco meets Martin’s agents

According to Diario SPORT, Barcelona sporting director Deco held an informal meeting with Inaki Ibanez, the agent of Real Sociedad centre-back Jon Martin, to sound out the player’s current situation.

The meeting was not of a decisive nature. It was more of a sounding exercise rather than a concrete expression of interest.

Jon Martin recently won the Copa Del Rey with Real Sociedad. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Barcelona have not communicated any specific intention to sign Martin to the player himself, but Deco has now established contact with the player’s agent.

Martin, 23, has been one of the standout defenders in La Liga this season, and his performance in the Copa del Rey final – where Real Sociedad defeated Atletico Madrid – only served to amplify his reputation further.

His composure, reading of the game and ability to play out from the back have drawn admiring glances from several major European clubs.

The Real Sociedad defender holds a contract until 2031, with a release clause set at €50 million, marginally below what Barcelona are prepared to spend on Bastoni should that deal materialise.

While Martin is not left-footed, which is among the preferred attributes Barcelona are seeking in a centre-back, he is 1.87 metres tall, strong in the air and fits several of the other parameters the club value in a defensive profile.

Bastoni remains the undisputed priority, but Barcelona are leaving nothing to chance.