Joan Laporta confirms Barcelona's failed pursuit of Lautaro Martinez
Barcelona's president revealed he personally called Inter's management to discuss a transfer, but was firmly rejected.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Author: Diliff
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed that the club made an attempt to sign Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez during the summer transfer window. The Catalan side was actively searching for a replacement for Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, exploring several options including Julian Alvarez.
In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Laporta detailed his direct negotiations with Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta. The Barcelona president revealed he made a personal phone call to his counterpart to express interest in the Argentine forward. However, Marotta immediately ended the discussion, making it clear that Martinez was not for sale.
I called Marotta. It was a conversation between us, without intermediaries. I told him that I admired the boy and would like to see him in my team. But Marotta didn't even let me finish. He made it clear that Lautaro is not for sale. Joan Laporta
After the failed pursuit of Martinez and other targets, Barcelona signed Gabriel Jesus on deadline day. Nevertheless, the solution in attack came from within, as Raphinha adapted phenomenally to the center-forward role, scoring 14 goals in his first eight matches.
Interest in Martinez is not new for Barcelona, as the club had previously identified him as a top target in 2020. Despite the player's acknowledgement of the interest, he remains committed to the Italian club, with his current contract running until 2029.