FC Barcelona Back In To Sign Lautaro Martinez, With Inter Milan Interested In Player Exchange

FC Barcelona are reportedly back in the hunt for striker Lautaro Martinez, with his club Inter Milan willing to lower his price tag and exchange players if needs be.

There was a pre-pandemic time in the 2019-2020 season when the pages of Mundo Deportivo and SPORT seemed to be filled daily with talk of ‘El Toro’ wearing Blaugrana the following term after he scored a stunning early goal for the Nerazzurri at Camp Nou in that campaign’s opening Champions League fixture.

While Luis Suarez was the hero of the evening by scoring a late brace that secured a 2-1 win, Barca’s interest had still been piqued by Lionel Messi’s Argentina teammate but the effects of the pandemic soon saw them thrust into debts totaling around $1.5 billion with any potential approach falling apart.

Two years later, Barca are said to be considering a coup for the 24-year-old who has since become a Serie A in Italy and a Copa America winner alongside Messi in Brazil.

Priced out of landing Erling Haaland, who will cost upwards of $300mn when his Borussia Dortmund release clause, agency and father commission fees and salary have all been factored in, the Blaugrana are in a far better place to lure Martinez amid alleged interest in Robert Lewandowski too.

Furthermore, Inter are also said to be looking to offload their number ’10’ who they believe has not lived up to expectation and who they price at anything between €70-80mn ($75-86mn).

This fee will also be a push for Barca, yet the Italians are interested in a possible of exchange of players to lower the amount including Memphis Depay and Miralem Pjanic.

While Depay has fallen down the pecking order at Camp Nou under Xavi since the winter arrivals of Ferran Torres and Pierre-Emerick Aubemayang, Pjanic – who has vast experience in Serie A – has no way of fitting into a midfield already packed full of stars such as Pedri, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Nico Gonzalez and captain Sergio Busquets to name a few.

Martinez, who has scored 15 goals this term and is on course to surpass his personal best of 17, has a contract until 2026 but would also demand far less pay than either Haaland or Lewandowski. Lastly, the Catalan media also believe that he is the perfect fit for Xavi’s project and say that Mateu Alemany knows his new agents well to negotiate an “absolutely affordable operation for the club’s battered coffers”.