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Once Julian Alvarez's transfer to Barcelona became 99% impossible, the Blaugrana's management had to widen its search for a new striker. That search placed a heavyweight name on the table: Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez.
The Argentine star's name has resurfaced around the Camp Nou fortress as Barcelona hunt hard for an out-and-out striker. Yet the dream quickly hit the solid wall of Inter Milan.
According to press reports citing the reliable journalist Matteo Moretto, Barcelona did enquire about Lautaro Martinez's situation. The interest never developed into anything serious, stopping at an initial enquiry without any move towards official negotiations.
That halt surprises nobody, given Lautaro's standing within the Nerazzurri. The 28-year-old Argentine is not merely a striker on the market. He is the team's captain, its main pillar, one of the most important cornerstones of the sporting project in Milan, and there is no sign Inter are ready to give up their star.
Barcelona's enquiry about Lautaro formed part of a flurry of intensive moves designed to make up for the Alvarez setback. Alvarez had been the main target of sporting director Deco and coach Hansi Flick before Atletico Madrid closed the door for good with a release clause of 490 million euros.
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In their search for alternatives, Barcelona have sounded out several strikers. Villarreal's Georges Mikautadze stands out as one of Deco's preferred options, though questions remain over how convinced Flick is by the deal.
Ayoze Perez cropped up as a lower-cost alternative, but that option quickly receded. Moretto himself confirmed the Spanish striker is not on the table for the Blaugrana.
Lautaro Martinez would add plenty to Barcelona's attack straight away, with his proven quality, his experience in major competitions and his leadership. But the reality is simple. There is a fundamental difference between merely enquiring about a player and persistently chasing his signature, and in the case of the Inter Milan captain, the latter has not happened.