Barcelona president Joan Laporta said he had spoken directly with Beppe Marotta about the potential transfer of Lautaro Martinez, but the Inter president ‘didn’t finish talking to me’.
Barcelona tried to sign Inter star Lautaro Martinez in the summer transfer window, but the Nerazzurri refused to sell their captain.
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He reveals that Laporta will argue with Marotta over Lautaro
BARCELONA, SPAIN – JULY 25: FC Barcelona President Joanna Laporta attends the unveiling of Hans Flick as the new FC Barcelona Coach at Spotify Camp Nou on July 25, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Laporta explained exactly how the talks with the Nerazzurri unfolded last August.
“I’ll tell you what happened. One day I called Marotta. He and I, not interns. I told him that I loved having Lautaro in my team because he was such an amazing guy,” said Laporta.
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“But he didn’t even finish speaking. He proposed that the player was not for sale and it was not up to him to decide whether to move or not. So I stopped all thinking; there is no way to take it any further. I have a mutual relationship with Marotta in trust. We are not going any further out of respect for him and between Inter.”
ROME, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 19: Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale Milano celebrates the second goal during the Serie A match between AS Roma and FC Internazionale at Stadio Olimpico on September 19, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
Laporta also answered a couple of questions about the coach of Comenius Fabregas, a product of the Barcelona academy and a first-team player at Camp Nou.
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Fabregas’ Com will visit Barcelona in the final round of the Champions League League on January 27, 2027.
“Cesc is doing a great job. I really like his mentality,” Laportsa said.
“He knows the philosophy of Barcelona really well, and he brought it to Como. We have a similar style of playing, and he will face the Champions League. The club is growing a lot. They have high-level players.”
COMO, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 10: Cesc Fabregas, Manager of Como 1907, celebrates after the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Stage MD1 match between Como 1907 and RB Leipzig at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on September 10, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Claudius Villa/Getty Images)
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When asked if he was already thinking about bringing Fabregas back as a coach in the future, Laporta replied: “We are not happy with our coach. We love him and he gives us great satisfaction.”
Last but not least, the Catalan president outshined Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d’Or.
“Lamine deserves it. He’s the first on the list and he’s ready to win it. It’s time,” he concluded.
“He is a player with the qualities of the greatest players in history, like Ronaldinho, Messi, and Neymar. Players who took the fans.”