Barcelona’s search for a new centre-forward remains one of the biggest issues surrounding the club’s summer transfer window after the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres left a major gap in attack. With Julián Álvarez out of reach, Lautaro Martínez emerged as a potential solution, but Inter Milan have made clear that their captain is not available for transfer.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Inter have received no official offer from Barcelona for Lautaro and have not been contacted indirectly about a possible deal. Inter are said to have learned of Barcelona’s interest through media reports, particularly in the Catalan press, rather than through club-to-club discussions.
Despite the absence of a concrete approach, Inter’s stance is clear: Lautaro is not for sale, and the club considers the matter closed. The Argentine remains one of Inter’s most important players and, as captain, holds a central role on and off the pitch. He is coming off another strong season in which he played a key part in Inter’s 2025/26 campaign and helped the Nerazzurri add further domestic silverware.
That status makes any potential transfer difficult before financial terms would even enter the conversation. Barcelona can admire Lautaro’s qualities, but Inter have given no indication that they are willing to open discussions. With no official contact between the clubs and a firm refusal to consider a sale, the path to a deal appears blocked.
Barcelona’s interest in Lautaro grew after the club accepted that a move for Julián Álvarez would not materialise, broadening the search for a new striker. Hansi Flick has confirmed that the club is still looking for another attacking option, while sporting director Deco has said that replacing Lewandowski is a difficult task.
With Inter treating the Lautaro situation as closed, Barcelona’s search for an attacking solution continues.
