Barcelona have hit another stumbling block in their summer transfer plans.
Inter Milan president Giuseppe Marotta has issued a hands-off warning to Barcelona regarding their reported pursuit of club captain Lautaro Martínez.
The Italian executive firmly shut down mounting speculation linking the Argentine superstar with a late summer move to Catalonia, insisting they would not entertain even inquirers.
Speaking to the press on Saturday, August 22, 2026, Marotta made it unequivocally clear that the reigning Serie A champions will not listen to any offers for their talisman.
“Lautaro is our captain, our history. There are not even the conditions to sell Lautaro Martínez,” the Inter president declared.
“You should not even speak about Lautaro’s exit this summer,” Marotta added, leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.
Barcelona’s desperate striker search
The stern rebuke comes as Barcelona scramble to find a reliable center-forward before the transfer window slams shut.
Hansi Flick’s side are in dire need of attacking reinforcements following the recent departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.
The Blaugrana had reportedly identified Martínez as a premier alternative after their prolonged pursuit of Julián Álvarez hit a brick wall.
Atlético Madrid have remained incredibly stubborn regarding Álvarez, refusing to sell the Argentine to a direct domestic rival and forcing Barcelona to look elsewhere.
Luring Martínez away from the San Siro was always going to be a near-impossible task given his monumental standing at the club.
Since arriving in 2018, the Argentine international has established himself as a living legend in Milan.
He recently surpassed Roberto Boninsegna to become Inter’s third-highest all-time goalscorer, boasting an incredible 175 goals across all official competitions.
As the current club captain, Martínez has been instrumental in Inter’s recent era of dominance.
He led the frontline during their 2020/21 and 2023/24 Serie A title-winning campaigns, alongside lifting back-to-back Coppa Italia trophies in 2021/22 and 2022/23.
With Marotta completely slamming the door on any potential exit, Barcelona must now turn their attention back to other targets like AS Monaco’s Folarin Balogun as the deadline looms.