Barcelona news: Joan Laporta reveals why Lautaro Martinez transfer failed

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed however his club's summertime pursuit of Lautaro Martinez ended astir arsenic soon arsenic it began, with Inter Milan shutting down the anticipation of a transportation earlier the Catalans could earnestly attack the Argentina international.

Barcelona's involvement successful Lautaro was already known, with the 29-year-old among the high-profile forwards considered arsenic the nine searched for a semipermanent solution astatine fig nine.

However, Laporta has present provided his ain relationship of the negotiations and clarified precisely wherever the projected determination broke down.

Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, the Barcelona president admitted that Lautaro was a subordinate helium wanted "at immoderate cost" and revealed that helium personally contacted Inter president Beppe Marotta implicit a imaginable deal.

The effect was immediate.

Laporta wanted Lautaro 'at immoderate cost'

"Lautaro is an unthinkable player, we didn't privation to fto him get distant astatine immoderate cost," Laporta explained.

"I called president Marotta, who told maine that the subordinate was not for sale."

According to Laporta, Inter's presumption near nary country for negotiation. The Serie A nine were determined to clasp their skipper and made wide that they would not see allowing him to leave.

Laporta added that the determination would not simply person been near to Lautaro himself due to the fact that Inter had already decided that they wanted to support him.

Barcelona truthful ended their pursuit alternatively than attempting to unit the issue.

That item is important due to the fact that erstwhile reports had focused heavy connected Lautaro's ain reluctance to entertain a determination to Camp Nou.

Marotta had antecedently claimed that the striker "refused to negotiate" with Barcelona aft learning of their interest, reinforcing the content that the subordinate himself had rejected the Catalan club.

However, Barcelona sporting manager Deco subsequently explained that Barca had not approached Lautaro oregon his representatives erstwhile Inter had declared the guardant unavailable.

Laporta's latest comments enactment that mentation of events: from Barcelona's perspective, the determination was stopped astatine nine level earlier talks with the subordinate could develop.

Inter refusal came earlier Lautaro determination mattered

There is nary proposition that Lautaro was pushing to permission San Siro.

The Argentina planetary remains nether declaration until 2029, is Inter's skipper and has repeatedly been presented by the Italian nine arsenic a cardinal fig successful their sporting project.

Nevertheless, the series described by Laporta places Inter's refusal astatine the opening of the failed transportation alternatively than Lautaro's idiosyncratic stance.

Barcelona explored the possibility, Laporta contacted Marotta straight and Inter closed the door.

The Catalans' hunt for a semipermanent striker was 1 of the large themes of their summertime window, with Julian Alvarez besides among the players powerfully pursued earlier Atletico Madrid refused to sell.

Barcelona yet added Gabriel Jesus, though Raphinha's singular signifier done the mediate has provided different solution during the aboriginal stages of the 2026-27 campaign.

The question of a much imperishable fig 9 solution is truthful apt to return, but Lautaro present appears considerably harder to revisit than a accepted failed transportation target.

Barcelona would not lone request to person the player. Laporta's relationship suggests that they would archetypal person to alteration the presumption of an Inter hierarchy that did not adjacent let the archetypal speech to advancement beyond 1 telephone call.