Failed to land Alvarez, Barcelona targets Lautaro Martinez: Inter Milan rejects the approach.

Jakarta - Inter Milan have closed the door on Barcelona, who are pursuing Lautaro Martinez during the final stretch of the 2026 summer transfer window. Inter president Giuseppe Marotta has confirmed that the Argentine captain and striker will not be sold under any circumstances.

This statement was delivered by Marotta ahead of Inter's fixture against Monza on Saturday (22/8/2026), the opening match of the 2026/2027 Serie A season. According to Marotta, Lautaro is not merely a key player, but has become part of Inter's core identity at present.

"Lautaro is our captain, he represents the modern legacy of Inter. There are no conditions that would allow him to leave this club. We will not release him under any circumstances, and this matter is not even up for discussion," Marotta was quoted by TNTSports.

Inter's firm stance also serves as an official response to reports that Barcelona had shifted their focus to Lautaro after facing deadlock in attempts to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona is currently searching for a new centre forward. The Catalan club had originally listed Alvarez as their primary target, but negotiations with Atletico Madrid have run into significant obstacles. Latest reports from Spain indicate Barcelona subsequently added Lautaro as one of their top alternative options to strengthen their attacking line.

Multiple reports even claim Barcelona is preparing an offer valued close to or just under 100 million euros for Lautaro. Separate Spanish media sources also alleged that preliminary talks had occurred between Barcelona Sporting Director Deco and Lautaro's agent Alejandro Camano.

However, all this information remains unconfirmed media speculation with no official transfer agreement finalised. Even reports of a verbal principle agreement between Lautaro and Barcelona have been implicitly rejected through Inter's official public ruling against selling the player.

Lautaro holds an extremely secure position within Inter. Born in Bahia Blanca, Argentina on 22 August 1997, the striker had just turned 29 years old and is entering his ninth season with the Nerazzurri.

On his birthday, Lautaro started in Inter's opening 2026/2027 Serie A fixture, where the defending league champions secured a 4-1 victory over Monza. He remains a critical core member of the Inter squad.

Inter also has formal grounds to retain Lautaro. The striker signed a contract extension in August 2024 which binds him to the club until 30 June 2029. Under this updated agreement, Lautaro was designated as one of the central pillars of Inter's long term sporting project.

For this reason, Lautaro's listed 85 million euro market value on Transfermarkt cannot be treated as Inter's official asking price. Likewise, reports of Barcelona's 100 million euro bid remain unconfirmed media claims, not an agreed transfer valuation between both clubs.

Separately, Barcelona still holds backup options should their pursuit of Lautaro fail completely. Viktor Gyokeres from Arsenal and several other forwards have been named as alternative targets, as Barcelona races against the clock before the transfer window closes.

Inter has not ruled out all transfer activity this window. Marotta confirmed the club remains open to signing new players, including additional strikers, if a suitable candidate is found that will genuinely improve the squad. Any incoming transfer will be coordinated with head coach Cristian Chivu and has the full backing of club ownership.

When it comes to Lautaro however, Inter's position is unambiguous. Barcelona may have turned to him as a fallback after struggling to secure Alvarez, but Inter has given zero indication they are willing to open negotiations for their captain.

With a running contract until 2029, his status as club captain, and his central role in Inter's plans to maintain domestic dominance, Lautaro is effectively impossible to sign away from the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium at this time.