Laporta: I wanted Lautaro at all costs this summer, but Marotta blocked me

This summer, Inter came very close to losing their captain, Lautaro Martínez. Barcelona had targeted the Argentine striker as a replacement for Lewandowski, but in the end nothing came of it and “El Toro” stayed with the Nerazzurri.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirmed this: “It is true; I wanted Lautaro at all costs. He is an extraordinary player and we did not want to let him go. So I called president Marotta and he told me the player was not for sale,” Laporta admitted to Corriere dello Sport.

“Besides, in any case, it would not have been up to the player to decide whether to leave or not, because Inter wanted to keep him. So, out of respect for Beppe — whom I value highly — we stopped,” he added.