Juan Laporta, the president of Spanish club Barcelona, recounted the behind-the-scenes details of the failed transfer of Argentine international Lautaro Martínez, striker for Italian side Inter Milan, to Barça.
Barcelona attempted to sign Lautaro Martínez during the summer transfer window, but the Nerazzurri refused to sell their captain, as the Argentine star has a contract with the Snakes until the summer of 2029.
Laporta recounts the behind-the-scenes details of Lautaro Martínez's failed move to Barcelona
Laporta said in statements reported by the Italian newspaper "Corriere della Sera": "I will tell you what happened. One day I called Marotta directly, without intermediaries. I told him that I wanted to bring Lautaro to Barcelona because I am a great admirer of this player."
He continued: "But he did not even let me finish my sentence. He clarified that the player is not for sale and that the decision regarding his departure does not rest with him."
He added: "So I stopped thinking about it; there was no possibility of proceeding with that. My relationship with Marotta is based on mutual trust, and we did not discuss the matter further out of respect for him and for Inter Club."
Regarding Cesc Fàbregas: "Cesc is doing an excellent job, and I greatly admire his mentality. He understands Barcelona's philosophy well and has transferred it to Como team."
He emphasized: "We have a similar playing style, and it would be wonderful to face them in the Champions League. The club is witnessing significant development and includes players of high level."
When asked if he was considering bringing Fàbregas back as the team's coach in the future, Laporta replied: "No, we are happy with our current coach. We love him, and he is delivering results that give us a great deal of satisfaction."