A center-forward was a priority for the Blaugrana at the beginning of the transfer window, and even more so now because of the release of Luis Suarez.
Barca tried hard to sign him this summer
Barcelona are confident of being able to bring in a striker this summer. A center-forward was a priority for the Blaugrana at the beginning of the transfer window, and even more so now because of the release of Luis Suarez. At the moment, it is not so clear who the attacker is going to be. Lautaro Martinez has been the No. 1 target for several months, and Barcelona have been trying hard to sign him early this summer. The Argentinean’s asking price for Inter has dropped since his €111 million release clause expired in July, but not as far as Barcelona. The Nerazzurri are still asking for €90 million for the 23-year-old, a figure Barcelona aren’t willing to meet. The Catalan club are not financially strong enough to make significant purchases at the moment.
Barcelona tried to use some of their players as makeweights in the deal, but Inter didn’t like any of them. “There is no negotiation between Inter and Barcelona,” Inter vice president Javier Zanetti told reporters. Instead, Inter turned their attention to preparing a big, new contract for their striker. Lautaro is not the only option for Barcelona, but Memphis Depay is shortlisted second. Ronald Koeman is very fond of the Lyon striker and knows him well over the Dutch national team. In terms of value, Depay will be available for about €25 million.