Joan Laporta confirms Barcelona tried to sign Inter Milan star: “We wanted him”

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Barca News Network

·30 September 2026

Joan Laporta confirms Barcelona tried to sign Inter Milan star: “We wanted him”

During the summer, Barcelona tried hard to sign a new striker, but their efforts were ultimately in vain. They were left disappointed when Atletico Madrid blocked a move for top target Julian Alvarez, but there were others that the Catalans also missed out on.

Another player that Barcelona tried to sign was Lautaro Martinez. Last week, sporting director Deco confirmed the club’s efforts to bring the Inter Milan superstar to the Spotify Camp Nou, and now, Joan Laporta has elaborated further on the matter during an interview with MD. He revealed that he was the one to initiate club-to-club with Giuseppe Marotta, CEO and president of the Nerazzurri.

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“I’ll tell you how it happened. One day I called Beppe Marotta: him and me, without intermediaries. I told him that I would be delighted to have Lautaro in my team and that I admired the boy a lot. But he didn’t even let me finish speaking. He told me clearly that the player was not for sale and that he would not be the one to decide whether to leave or not. So, I ended all the talks – there was no way to move on. Marotta and I have a relationship of mutual trust; we didn’t go any further out of respect for him and Inter.”

Laporta on Fabregas: “He is one of us”

Laporta was also asked about Cesc Fabregas, who has been touted as a possible successor to Hansi Flick when the current Barcelona head coach decides to end his stay at the club.

“He is one of us, and we are very happy with the success he is having at Como. He fully deserves it. We are looking forward to welcoming him back to the Camp Nou. Fabregas knows our mentality and Barça’s vision better than anyone. He grew up here, and this will always be his home, and we like his way of understanding football. Now, however, we have a great coach like Flick. And you have already seen what he is capable of.”