Iñigo Martinez reveals his feelings after failed Barcelona move

Iñigo Martinez was one of the players Barcelona tried to sign this summer. The Blaugrana sounded out a move for the centre-back and were even ready to pay his 32 million euro release clause. When it seemed set to go through, though, the club took a step back, pulled out of the signing and Martinez remains at Real Sociedad. 

In an interview with 'Noticias de Guipuzcoa', the player said he's far from disappointed to still be at Anoeta: "Annoyed? Come on. The opposite, I would say. If I was upset to be at la Real it would be becuase I didn't feel comfortable or they didn't value me. But there's none of that. I was relaxed and I wasn't annoyed or anything [about what happened with Barcelona] because it didn't even reach the stage where I talked to them." 

FOCUSED ON Real Sociedad

Asked if he has an explanation for Barça's change of mind, he said: "I didn't try and find out then I am not going to try and find out now. The only thing I had on on mind what that I was comfortable where I was, that I was focused and everything else went in one ear and out the other. I am focused on giving my all for la Real and nothing else." 

The defender also revealed talks he had with Real Sociedad at the time: "I transmitted calm to them, that I was relaxed, focused on myself and that my head was with la Real. The only thing I was looking at was the present, which is here." 

ERNESTO Valverde

As for a hypothetical conversation with new Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde, Iñigo denied contact: "There was a lot of rumours that I had told [Barcelona] yes. Everyone puts what they beleive, but I didn't even speak with them, nor did I tell la Real that I wanted to leave and ask them to help me with that."