Catalan sources: Inter Milan striker ‘back on the scene’ for Barcelona

For the past three years, Barcelona have approached numerous well-established centre-forwards in the hope of bringing them to Camp Nou. After Luis Suarez’s departure, the need for a lethal number 9 became an issue that demanded immediate attention.

One of the names extensively linked with the Blaugranas was Lautaro Marinez. The Argentine was one of Serie A’s most deadly finishers and had a profile that was said to be ideal for the Catalan setup.

According to reports from SPORT, Martinez may leave Inter Milan in the summer. With this development, the talks of a potential move to Barcelona have reignited.

Despite a strong effort to push for his signing in 2020, the move did not materialize because of financial reasons. Inter Milan demanded that Barcelona pay at least €90 million to take him away from the San Siro.

Recently, the Nerazzurri striker opened up about how close he was to joining Barcelona and the reason for the deal falling apart.

“I was truly very close to joining Barcelona and I even talked it over with Messi. However, the Blaugrana had economic problems at that moment, so I decided to stay at Inter. It proved to be the right decision, especially as we then won the Scudetto.”

In 22 Serie A appearances this season, Martinez has scored 11 goals and provided two assists. However, he is yet to open his tally in the UEFA Champions League.

A move to Barcelona could be on the horizon, but the probability seems low at the moment. Barcelona’s acquisition of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the potential signing of Erling Haaland almost certainly rule out a move for the Argentine.