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Lautaro Martínez has confirmed that the transfer rumours linking him with Barcelona were genuine, but the Inter captain made clear that he chose to remain with the Italian club.
The Argentina international addressed the speculation after the transfer window closed. According to reporting from MARCA, Barcelona’s interest emerged after the possible signing of Julián Álvarez did not materialise.
Martínez said that interest and calls from other clubs are pleasing for a player, but explained that he wanted to stay with his teammates and Inter’s supporters. He described Inter as a source of pride, happiness and motivation, and said he had again chosen to remain because he wants to achieve more with the club.
The comments provide a clear response to a rumour that had placed the forward in Barcelona’s orbit. They also underline that, despite the reported interest, Martínez’s preference was to continue his career at Inter rather than pursue a move away from Milan.
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MARCA reported that Martínez spoke to Sky Italia while attending the Gran Gala del Calcio on 2 September 2026. The report said he was asked directly about the Barcelona speculation and confirmed that the rumours were true while outlining his desire to stay at Inter.
The same report noted that Martínez is 29 and had recently finished as a World Cup runner-up with Argentina, won another Scudetto as Inter captain and scored 22 goals across all competitions in the previous season. Those achievements help explain why his situation attracted attention during the window, while his own remarks centred on his commitment to Inter.
Martínez’s contract with Inter runs until June 2029. MARCA also reported that Inter had made clear that they did not want to lose their captain. For now, the player’s public position is that he is happy at the club and wants to continue pursuing major objectives there.
Barcelona were linked with Martínez in the context of their search for attacking options after the possible Álvarez move fell through. However, Martínez’s comments do not indicate that a transfer is on the horizon, and his decision to stay leaves the reported interest as an episode of the closed transfer window.
