Lautaro Martínez's Barcelona Move on Pause - Club Must First Raise Funds Through Sales
By Ali Rampling
Barcelona's pursuit of Lautaro Martínez has been placed on pause as the club attempt to raise funds to sign the Inter striker - who is prepared to wait patiently for a move to Camp Nou.
The Catalan giants have had their eye on Martinez all season in a bid to freshen up their ageing forward line.
However, the forward comes with a hefty price tag, and Barcelona need to fix their own well documented financial issues before entering the transfer market.
According to Spanish news outlet Sport, the negotiations between Barcelona and Inter are currently frozen. The Spanish side need to offload a number of squad players and generate some income in order to meet financial fair play regulations and salary caps before they can consider making a move for Martinez.
The report states that the key would be to sell a member of their forward line for a significant fee before the deal can get the green light.
Barcelona have been keen to sell striker Martin Braithwaite in the summer, just five months on from his controversial move from Leganes. However, the former Middlesbrough man will likely be loaned out or sold for little more than the €18m Barcelona paid for him in January, which would not be sufficient to fund a move for Martinez.
Teenage starlet Ansu Fati has been linked with a big money move elsewhere, with Manchester United reportedly interested. However, Barcelona have no intention of selling the 17-year-old.
There has also been speculation about an exit for Ousmane Dembele. The Frenchman endured has endured an injury plagued three years at Camp Nou, with Barcelona reportedly valuing him at €60m.
Philipp Coutinho looks likely to depart the club in the summer, with a return to the Premier League on the cards.
Despite his Barcelona move now dependent on whether they can generate funds, Martinez remains keen to join the club, and would be willing to wait a further year before securing a move to Camp Nou.