Inter Transfer Market: Surreal Rumors Linking Lautaro Martinez to Barcelona; The Nerazzurri’s Reaction

Rumors are swirling again from Spain regarding Lautaro Martinez. The Inter striker returned a few days ago, smiling, from his post-World Cup vacation, pledging his loyalty to Inter, which he considers his second home. But one of his former suitors, Barcelona, is reportedly knocking on his door again—at least according to some Catalan media outlets.

The Blaugrana are looking for a replacement for Robert Lewandowski and could soon lose Ferran Torres as well, who is very close to joining PSG. The Spanish champions thus find themselves without a striker less than two weeks before the start of La Liga: negotiations with Atlético Madrid for Julián Álvarez have slowed significantly at the moment, and the Catalans are reportedly looking around.

According to El Desmarque, Lautaro Martínez’s name has suddenly resurfaced: the player would be a perfect fit for Flick’s style of play, and Barcelona had already come very close to signing him in the past. According to the rumor, sporting director Deco has reportedly met with the agent of Inter captain Alejandro Camano in the last few hours.

A departure for Lautaro, at least during this transfer window, is practically impossible barring a sensational offer. Inter has no intention of letting go of the most important player on the roster with less than two weeks to go before the start of the season, and the 2022 World Cup champion himself has stated on multiple occasions that he feels at home with the Nerazzurri, with whom he has a contract through 2029.

Barcelona, on the other hand, has ruled out Dusan Vlahovic, a striker who is currently a free agent but fails to impress coach Flick. The Serbian center forward, who had put offers from Besiktas and several Saudi clubs on hold in the hope of finding a top-tier team willing to sign him, has ultimately accepted the Istanbul club’s offer. According to Matteo Moretto, the deal is nearing completion: Vlahovic will sign a lucrative three-year contract worth 10 million euros net per season. Another factor that reportedly swayed him was the presence on the bench of Vincenzo Italiano, his former coach at Fiorentina—a period during which the Serbian truly broke out, scoring 17 goals in 21 games before his transfer to Juventus in January 2022.