Barcelona Line Up Lautaro Martínez as Their Julián Álvarez Plan B
With the Julián Álvarez saga stuck in the mud, Barcelona have started to sketch out a back-up plan — and the name at the top of it will make Culers sit up. According to reports in Spain, Lautaro Martínez has emerged as the Blaugrana’s leading alternative should their pursuit of Álvarez collapse against Atlético Madrid’s refusal to sell.
Álvarez remains the priority, the profile Deco and Hansi Flick believe can lead the line for years. But with Atlético holding firm, Barça are wise to weigh other options — and few carry the pedigree of Inter Milan’s Argentine captain.
Why Lautaro Martínez appeals to Deco and Flick
The interest was first revealed by El Desmarque and picked up across the Spanish press. As Barça Blaugranes notes, the 28-year-old is one of the club’s favoured names if they cannot convince Atlético to part with Álvarez, with sporting director Deco and head coach Flick both admirers.
It is not hard to see the appeal. Martínez has been among the most prolific forwards in Europe for the best part of a decade — Barça Universal credits him with 175 goals in 376 competitive appearances for Inter — and remains one of the most feared strikers in the Argentina attack. His mix of movement, link play and penalty-box menace is exactly the kind of centre-forward presence Barcelona have lacked since Robert Lewandowski’s departure.
There is a sentimental dimension, too. Martínez has worn the Inter captain’s armband and is idolised at San Siro, so any decision to leave would carry weight far beyond the balance sheet. At 28 he is arguably at the peak of his powers, and a forward of his output would count as a statement signing for a Barça side chasing a third successive LaLiga title.
The obstacles in Barcelona’s way
None of this will be simple. Martínez signed a contract extension in 2024 that ties him to Inter until 2029, and the Nerazzurri would take some persuading to sell a player they consider a symbol of the club. As Mundo Deportivo stresses, no contact has yet been made with the striker’s camp, and Barcelona have run into financial hurdles when the idea has surfaced in the past.
The likeliest route, sources suggest, would run through the player himself: Inter are said to hold Martínez in such high regard that they would at least listen if he made clear he wanted to leave after eight years in Milan. For now, that is a big if.
Priority first, insurance in reserve
The message from Catalonia is that Álvarez comes first and everything else is contingency. Yet with the window open until 31 August and the club determined to add a striker, having a name of Martínez’s calibre in reserve is no bad thing. Culers, for now, can only wait to see whether Plan A comes good — or whether the club’s gaze shifts decisively towards Milan. For more of the club’s dealings this summer, keep an eye on our Barça transfers coverage.
