Barcelona spent the summer looking for someone to replace Robert Lewandowski and found the man they wanted. Then Joan Laporta picked up the phone to Beppe Marotta, and the conversation lasted about as long as it takes to say no.
The call that ended it
Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, the Barcelona president laid out how the pursuit of Lautaro Martínez collapsed. "He's an incredible player; we didn't want to let him slip away at any cost," Laporta said. "So I rang President Marotta and he told me the player wasn't for sale."
That was effectively the end of it. Laporta suggested Martínez himself was open to the move, but said the player's preference was never going to override Inter's position. "Inter told us 'no' and so we told them that, in any case, it wouldn't be the player who decided whether or not to leave, because Inter wanted to keep him. So, out of respect for Beppe Marotta, whom I respect enormously, we stopped and that was the end of it."
How Barcelona got there
Martínez was not the first name on the list. Barcelona went after Julián Álvarez first and ran into complications, at which point sporting director Deco opened contact with Inter and Laporta took the negotiation on himself. The 29-year-old is Inter's captain, and clubs do not usually sell those.
Martínez confirmed the interest was real when he spoke at the Gran Gala del Calcio. "The rumours about Barcelona were true, but in the end I wanted to stay here together with my teammates and my fans," he said. "For me, Inter is all pride, happiness and the desire to continue. I have chosen to stay here once again, I want to do great things at Inter."
The accident that worked
Barcelona's attack was thinner than they expected by the end of the window. Lewandowski had gone. Ferran Torres left for Paris Saint-Germain. Hansi Flick had no recognised centre-forward and improvised, pushing Raphinha into the middle.
It has gone absurdly well. The Brazilian has 14 goals in eight appearances this season playing a position he was not signed for. Whether that holds up over a whole campaign is the question Barcelona will have to answer in January, and the answer may well decide whether Laporta makes another phone call. Martínez, for now, is staying where he is.
Transfer context: Lautaro Martínez, 29, is Inter captain and was Barcelona's second choice after Julián Álvarez in the summer 2026 window. Inter chairman Beppe Marotta rejected a direct approach from Barcelona president Joan Laporta and the pursuit was abandoned. Barcelona lost Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, who joined Paris Saint-Germain, and have used Raphinha as a makeshift centre-forward, with 14 goals in eight appearances this season. Laporta's comments were made to Corriere dello Sport.
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