Lautaro Martinez has confirmed Barcelona explored a move for him this summer but he chose to remain at Inter Milan, where he could now spend the rest of his career.
The Argentina forward said Barcelona’s interest was genuine after the Spanish champions turned to other options following their unsuccessful pursuit of Julian Alvarez. Martinez emerged as one of the alternatives considered by Barça before deciding to stay in Italy.
“The rumours that were circulating were true,” Martinez told Sky Italia. “But in the end, I wanted to stay here with my teammates and these magnificent fans.”
The 29-year-old, who joined Inter from Racing in 2018, said he was proud to have attracted interest from Barcelona but had no doubts about his preference.
“It is a great honour and a source of immense satisfaction because you always work to improve, to move forward, and to try to get better every year,” Martinez said.
“When offers or calls come from such big clubs, they are always welcome – they are gratifying because it is a very significant thing.”
Martinez is under contract at Inter until June 2029 and remains captain of the club. He suggested he could stay beyond the current agreement, although he acknowledged that circumstances can change in football.
“My mind is made up,” he said. “I would always stay here because I feel good and I am happy. In football, though, you never know. As long as Inter wants and needs me, I will be here.”
He added: “I’ve chosen to stay here once again because I feel well and I’m still eager to do great things at Inter.”
Martinez has been central to Inter’s recent success. He scored 17 goals and provided six assists in 30 Serie A appearances last season as Inter won the Scudetto.
The forward also remains a key player for Argentina. He won the 2022 World Cup and was part of the side that finished runners-up at the 2026 tournament.
After the forward rejected a move to Camp Nou, Barcelona went ahead to sign Gabriel Jesus from Arsenal instead.
