Marotta: Lautaro Refused Barcelona Talk Amid Real Madrid Clash

Beppe Marotta says Lautaro Martinez turned down any talk of a move to Barcelona this summer, and the Inter president made the point on the eve of the club's Champions League opener against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

Marotta told Sky Sport Italia that the two clubs held a discussion over the Argentine striker, floated by Barcelona as an alternative to Julian Alvarez, but that it went no further. He called Lautaro's conduct throughout "exemplary" and said there were never the conditions to open formal negotiations.

Lautaro, 29, has scored three goals for Inter this season and is under contract until 2029. Marotta said the club could not afford to sell a player he described as first-rate and central to any title challenge under Cristian Chivu.

The Bernabeu fixture doubles as a reunion for Chivu and Jose Mourinho, who won the Treble together at Inter in 2010, and sees Denzel Dumfries face his former side. Real Madrid go into it short-handed: Bernardo Silva, Arda Guler and Eduardo Camavinga are suspended, while Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, Raul Asencio and Rodrygo are all injured.

Asked about Inter's aims for the campaign, Marotta framed Tuesday's match in Madrid as the kind of occasion that demands maximum effort.

«I said our obligation is to give our all, including in clashes like this evening, where motivation is important. We also have the right to dream, and sometimes dreams come true, so you need to keep dreaming,».

Real Madrid were beaten 0-1 by Betis on 5 September, with Kylian Mbappe missing a penalty saved by Vallés late on. A misfiring Madrid facing a weakened squad list gives Marotta's talk of ambition an early test at the Bernabeu.