Barcelona Admits Strong Interest in Lautaro Martinez
Barcelona seriously considered Lautaro Martinez during the summer transfer window. This was confirmed by Deco, the Catalan club's sporting director, speaking to Sportitalia. "Lautaro is a spectacular player, an Inter idol, captain and legend of the club," the Barcelona executive stated. The club's high regard for the Argentine was evident, placing him among the profiles evaluated to bolster their attack.
The potential deal, however, never truly progressed due to Inter's stance, as they declared their captain unavailable for transfer. "Out of respect for him and the club, when they told us they weren't willing to sell him, we stopped pursuing it."
Deco also highlighted Barcelona's approach during the pursuit: "We try to do things correctly and clearly. There are often press speculations, but it's true that he could have been the right player for Barcelona." Following discussions between the two clubs' presidents, Barça decided not to proceed further. "When our president spoke with the Inter president and was told he wasn't for sale, we didn't speak with the player or his agent." The admiration for the Argentine remains, though: "It's true that we sought him out and we really like him as a player," leaving the door open for a renewed attempt in the summer.
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