Lautaro Martinez was ready to move to Barcelona during the summer transfer window, if the Catalan club reached an agreement with Inter for his transfer.
According to "Diario SPORT", Barcelona seriously considered the possibility of approaching the Argentine striker during August, after the Catalan leaders received signals that the 28-year-old was open to a new adventure in La Liga.
However, Lautaro did not want to sever his relationship with Inter, the club where he has become one of the main figures. For this reason, the Argentine was only willing to leave if Barcelona and Inter could find an agreement that would be acceptable to all parties.
Barcelona's interest in Lautaro is not new. The striker's name had been in the club's plans back in 2021, when former technical secretary Ramon Planes had initiated contacts with him. At that time, however, Barcelona's financial problems made it impossible to complete the transfer.
This summer, Lautaro Martinez's name made a strong return to Barcelona's list after the club realized that Atletico Madrid had no intention of selling Julian Alvarez. The Argentine was considered an important alternative by Barcelona's sporting directors and coach Hansi Flick, although Alvarez remained the main target until the end of the transfer window.
Sporting director Deco contacted Lautaro's representatives, while Barcelona president Joan Laporta held direct talks with Inter president Giuseppe Marotta.
But for Inter the situation was clear, Martinez was considered irreplaceable and the Italian club had no interest in selling him at such an advanced stage of the transfer market.
Barcelona had kept open the possibility of a transfer through a possible sale, which would have created the financial space to make another move in the transfer market. In the end, such a scenario did not materialize.
The Catalan club opted to sign Gabriel Jesus, ending the search for another number 9. Raphinha was then activated in this role, while Lautaro Martinez remained an unrealized target for Barcelona.
