Deco confirms interest in Lautaro Martinez: then Inter's halt

Barcelona tried to bring Lautaro Martinez to Catalonia during the summer, but the attempt was stopped by Inter’s categorical refusal. This was confirmed by Deco, sporting director of the Catalan club, in an interview with Sportitalia.

The Portuguese executive explained the respect shown by the Blaugrana towards the Nerazzurri captain and his club: “First of all, Lautaro is an idol of Inter and we have a lot of respect for that. I think he is a fantastic player, a spectacular player, an icon, a legend of Inter, the captain.”

Deco then revealed how the negotiation ended: “Out of respect for the player, out of respect for the club, the moment the club told us he was not available, we did not try, we did not talk anymore. We try to do things the right way, very clearly.”

The sporting director then confirmed the appreciation for the Argentine striker: “It is true that at one point, among those we were looking for, among those we believed were players for Barça, Lautaro was one of them, but the moment my president spoke with the presidents of Inter and they said he was not available, out of respect we never spoke again, we never had contact with the player or his agent.”

The conclusion still reveals the esteem for the Nerazzurri captain: “It is true that he was a player we liked and still like, and I personally like him.”