If Barcelona can’t get Julián Álvarez, it wants Lautaro Martínez, but Inter stands firm amid the rumors With a need for a No. 9, the Catalan side has turned its attention to El Toro, but the Italian club is making its position clear. Barcelona, after Atlético Madrid refused to let Julián Álvarez leave, began looking for another major option for the center-forward position. Their attack was left almost empty following Robert Lewandowski’s move to MLS side Chicago Fire, Ferran Torres’ transfer to PSG, and Marcus Rashford’s move to Manchester United. Lautaro Martínez is now the club’s main target. According to the Spanish press, Barcelona reportedly has an irresistible contract and offer ready to land the Argentina international. However, Inter Milan, the Italian club where El Toro has played since July 2018 after leaving Racing, is standing firm against the possibility. Inter manager Cristian Chivu has now stated that the player is untouchable, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Sky Sports and others. Lautaro, who turns 29 this Saturday and will celebrate with his family in Milan, has yet to speak about the possibility of joining Barcelona or publicly comment on whether an offer would tempt him as much as it apparently did his Argentina teammate. But Inter have moved quickly to make their position perfectly clear, even before Barcelona’s offensive began. “He is our captain and we will keep him with us. I think he will stay here for a long time,” Chivu said in response to repeated questions about the matter. Although he acknowledged that the transfer market “is unpredictable,” he made Inter’s priority regarding their captain and leading player perfectly clear: “The transfer market is usually really ruthless, so I won’t make any further comments. What is certain is that we want Lautaro to stay.” Barcelona sporting director Deco has set his sights on Lautaro. His 175 goals in 376 appearances for Inter are certainly attractive, although precisely because of that record, it is not believed that the Italians would be easy to negotiate with. Last season, he scored 22 goals in 41 matches and provided six assists. He is also a 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina and played at the 2026 World Cup, where Argentina finished runners-up. Chivu has managed Inter since the middle of last year and has already led the club to Serie A and Coppa Italia titles. Martínez, whose contract runs until 2029, is his captain and the club’s emblem. Inter paid €25 million to sign him from Racing, and his market value has increased dramatically. He is currently valued at €85 million, having previously reached €100 million. “The fact that he is being mentioned is recognition, but we keep Lautaro close because he represents what we have been and what we want to continue being,” the manager added. With less than two weeks remaining before the European transfer window closes, and Barcelona urgently needing to sign a No. 9, a proposal has emerged that could disrupt Inter’s peace just as Lautaro approaches the start of his ninth season with the Italian club. In fact, El Toro is expected to start Inter’s Serie A opener this Saturday at San Siro against Monza at 1:30 p.m. Argentine time, despite having had a disrupted preseason due to his late return from the World Cup held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The player himself also shared promotional material for the tournament’s opening match on his social media.   submitted by   /u/IndividualPleasant23 [link]   [comments]