Barcelona almost signed Lautaro Martinez but forward says he's happy at Inter Milan

Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez admitted that he was very close to joining Barcelona and that he was also in touch with their talisman Lionel Messi about a move. However, the transfer is believed to have broken down due to financial reasons. Martinez, who ended up winning the Serie A title this season with Inter, said that he was happy to stay at the San Siro.

Barcelona transfer news: Why did Lautaro Martinez contract terms fail?

Lautaro Martinez recently opened up on why his contract with Barcelona last season fell through and what did he discuss with captain Lionel Messi while he seriously considered a move. According to ESPN, Martinez said, "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. It’s just incredible to win the title at such an important club."

Meanwhile, the Lautaro Martinez links with Barcelona do not seem to dry out as the forward has once again been linked with a move to the Nou Camp this summer. As per Barcelona transfer news, the other top stars linked are Erling Haaland and Neymar. However, any such deal looks unlikely once again considering the financial situation of Barcelona and the staggering release clause of Martinez. The Argentine forward is believed to have a whopping €111m (£96.5m) release clause.

Lautaro Martinez transfer news: Inter star previously linked to Barcelona arch-rivals Real Madrid

Lautaro Martinez arrived at Inter Milan from Racing Club in 2018 and has impressed ever since. The 23-year-old has scored 47 goals across all competitions for Inter, including 15 in 34 Serie A appearances this season. Moreover, Martinez has formed a lethal partnership with Romelu Lukaku and their combined total of 36 league goals so far this season have been instrumental in Inter's successful Serie A title win.

The Argentine revealed that Real Madrid too attempted to sign him from his boyhood club Racing Club before he eventually joined Inter. "Real Madrid did come for me twice when I was in the Racing youth team, but I wanted to make my name in Argentinean football first and only made the move to Europe when I was ready. I do dream one day of returning to Racing. The fans are just as 'crazy' and passionate as the Inter ones," said Martinez. Inter fans will be delighted that Martinez is believed to be in talks to extend his current contract and hopes that an agreement will be reached soon.