Lautaro Martinez Remains FC Barcelona Top Priority After Inter Europa League Loss, Amid Depay Rumors

Lautaro Martinez remains FC Barcelona’s top transfer priority following his current side Inter Milan’s defeat in the Europa League final last night.

At the end of his second season on the Old Continent, the 22-year-old suffered heartbreak via a 3-2 loss to Barça’s domestic rivals Sevilla in which he failed to score.

Clearly upset as he passed the trophy with his runner-up medal, the Argentine international teammate of Lionel Messi may have played his last match in Nerazzurri amid prolonged interest from the Catalans.

Ever since he netted a two-minute goal past Marc-Andre Ter Stegen at the Camp Nou in an October Champions League group tie, Martinez has been high on Barcelona’s intended list of purchases.

It previously appeared as though activating his now-expired €120mn ($141.5mn) release clause would be a gimme. However after the coronavirus pandemic took hold of professional sports and imposed a three-month pause on European soccer, Barça have been forced into offering reduced cash sums and strings of players in exchange.

As part of a grand clear out in the wake of the humbling 8-2 UCL quarterfinal loss to Bayern Munich, reports in Italy have suggested that locker room heavyweights such as Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez could be put on the table in order to capture Martinez for once and for all.

Much cheaper than the former Racing Club man, it has also been suggested that new coach Ronald Koeman would like to bring in his compatriot Memphis Depay from Lyon, who he has overseen until recently in his former post commanding the Netherlands.

According to Mundo Deportivo, however, Martinez still occupies top spot on the shortlist. And now that Inter have finally wrapped up their 2019/2020 campaign, previously frozen negotiations can resume.

The same newspaper’s columnist Miguel Rico insisting that Martinez cannot arrive without the departure of the Uruguayan, Suarez has this morning had an exclusive interview published in El Pais whereby he voiced his willingness to stay on the bench if that is what is required for him to continue donning Blaugrana.

“I would accept it here as I [would] always accept it in my career,” Suarez confirmed. “Competition is always good and if the coach thinks that I should start from the bench, I have no problem helping with the role they give me. I think I can still contribute a lot to this club,” he insisted.