Barcelona make last ditch attempt to sign Inter star as Suarez nears exit

Barcelona have launched one last offer for Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez, according to a report.

Martinez is one of Barcelona’s main targets for their summer rebuild. The La Liga giants are looking for a new striker after Ronald Koeman decided it was time to move on from Luis Suarez.

Juventus are keen to sign Suarez, but the striker must first come to an agreement with his current club. One year remains on his contract at Camp Nou, but Barcelona want to terminate his deal.

They may have to pay him the full €14m from the last year of his contract to do so, though. He would be willing to stay at the club, even without regular gametime, if they can’t find an agreement.

Should they manage to part company with Suarez, though, Barca have identified Martinez as their main target.

The 23-year-old has impressed over the past two seasons with Inter Milan, scoring 30 goals in 84 games. He has even been praised by the man he could replace, Suarez.

Martinez has also been mentioned as a target for the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City. However, his preference would be to move to Barcelona.

That was until recently, when it emerged that he was growing unsure about a potential move to Camp Nou in the wake of the turbulence brought by the Lionel Messi saga.

Messi told the club he wanted to leave, but they stood in his way – eventually leading him to commit his future for the upcoming season.

Before Messi came to the decision to stay, reports claimed that Martinez was growing hesitant about the move. The chance to team up with his compatriot was one of the main reasons he wanted Barcelona in the first place.

Therefore, Barca had to turn their attention elsewhere. It then emerged that they had made a move for Lyon’s Memphis Depay, who has worked under Koeman at international level with the Netherlands.

However, Goal claim that Barcelona are not giving up on Martinez just yet. The report suggests that Martinez is the perfect profile for their attack and remains their number one target.

Barcelona also know that they can sign Martinez to a contract with significantly lower wages than Suarez. Therefore, they are ready to test the waters with one final offer for the Argentina star.

Suarez agrees Juventus terms

Meanwhile, Mundo Deportivo add that Suarez’s move to Juventus is accelerating. That’s despite Barcelona being locked in talks over his potential pay-off.

The Spanish outlet reveals that Suarez will take an Italian language test on Monday. That’s because doing so can help him qualify for an Italian passport – freeing up space in Juventus’ squad for other non-EU players.

Suarez’s wife has Italian ancestors, so he will be able to get an Italian passport if he passes his test.

In the meantime, he continues to train with Barcelona, despite the doubts about his future.

Goal also claim that Suarez has agreed his contract with Juventus, which will see him earn €10m-per-year for two seasons, with the option of a third. The Serie A champions are now in talks with Barcelona over a potential transfer fee.