Barcelona switch focus to Lautaro after Alvarez plan stalls

Barcelona’s hunt for a striker to replace Robert Lewandowski has moved from Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez to Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez as the transfer window nears its close.

Spanish outlet El Chiringuito, via reporter Jose Alvarez, said Barça are "going all out for Lautaro" and that Inter are "expected to negotiate and the deal could be closed". The report added that Barcelona are working on the move "both with the player and his entourage (with several meetings) and with the club (first contacts)".

It is claimed a first offer is being prepared that would not exceed €100m as the Catalans try to bolster their attack before the window shuts. The renewed interest comes after Atletico Madrid made clear they do not want to sell Alvarez despite the forward having expressed a desire to move during the World Cup.

Chivu: 'We certainly want him to stay'

Inter manager Cristian Chivu was quizzed on Friday about the speculation at a press conference ahead of the Serie A opener against Monza.

"I'm not worried about anything. I'm not here to talk about the transfer market, I'm here to talk about Monza. Lautaro is the captain, and there'll probably be a lot of talk about him in the next 10 days; there's always talk about important players," Chivu said.

"Great players always have things going on that coaches don't like. I think Lautaro will stay at Inter for a long time. The transfer market is always a mess, so I can't give an answer to that question. We certainly want him to stay."

Martinez has been linked with Barcelona many times over the years and previously said he would be happy to spend the rest of his career at Inter. Reports in Italy insist Inter have no intention of selling their Argentina forward this summer, while Spanish media suggest the club is pressing ahead regardless.

With the window closing, Inter appear in no mood to sell their captain late in the market despite Barcelona's reported push.