Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed the club's strong desire to sign Lautaro Martínez during the last summer transfer window. In an interview, Laporta explained he held direct talks with Inter Milan president Giuseppe Marotta to probe the possibility of a move.
"Lautaro is an incredible player. We wanted him at any cost for Barça," Laporta said. The Italian executive's response, however, was blunt and cut short any hope. "He didn't even let me finish talking. He told me clearly the player was not for sale," the Barça president added. Faced with that firm stance, and out of respect for Marotta and Inter, Barcelona decided not to pursue the operation further.
Fàbregas' future
In the same conversation, Laporta also spoke about Cesc Fàbregas, currently manager of Como. The president described him as "one of ours" and expressed the club's wish to welcome him back to Camp Nou in the future, acknowledging his deep understanding of football. Laporta clarified that, for now, the team is in Hansi Flick's hands and performing excellently.
Barcelona top La Liga with 21 points after seven matchdays, with a perfect record of seven wins. The next fixture is against Getafe at home, a match for which the team arrives on a run of five consecutive victories in all competitions, including a commanding 1-3 win at Sevilla.
Despite the unrealised interest in Lautaro Martínez, Barça's attack has no issues with efficiency. The team has scored 31 league goals this season, with Raphinha as top scorer on 12 strikes. The Argentine, for his part, has repeatedly reiterated his commitment to Inter, a club that has systematically refused to sell him in recent years. The squad list, marshalled in goal by Marc-André ter Stegen, looks solid and focused on immediate objectives.
The close of the summer window left this option on the table, but Barcelona's sporting project, which Laporta rates as "among the best in the world", continues its course normally with full focus on the next league challenge.
First reported at Marca - Primera
