Barcelona transfer news: Catalan giants handed further blow in pursuit of new number nine

Barcelona have received a further blow in their desire to sign a new centre-forward before this summer's transfer window closes for business.

The La Liga champions allowed Robert Lewandowski to leave on a free transfer earlier this summer, while Ferran Torres has been sold to Paris Saint-Germain.

Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez remains Barcelona's dream target in the final third of the field, but the Red and Whites continue to insist that the Argentina international is not for sale.

Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez has also been linked with a move to Camp Nou, but the Italian club's CEO Giuseppe Marotta has ruled out a departure for Alvarez's international teammate.

“Lautaro is our captain, our history. There are not even the conditions to sell Lautaro Martinez. You should not even speak about Lautaro’s exit this summer," said Marotta.

Inter rule out departure for Barcelona-linked Martinez

Martinez, 29, has scored 175 goals and registered 56 assists in 377 appearances for Inter.

The forward is proven at the highest level, featuring on 66 occasions in the Champions League, scoring 25 goals and registering seven assists.

Martinez has 132 goals and 44 assists in 268 appearances in Italy's top flight, meanwhile, and he has a contract at San Siro until the summer of 2029.

As a result, it is incredibly difficult to imagine the striker leaving this summer.

Will Alvarez be leaving Atletico this summer?

Alvarez said earlier this summer that he wanted to leave Atletico.

However, the capital giants have continued to insist that the attacker will not leave, and the club's chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin provided an update on the situation at the end of last week.

"Atletico Madrid, like every big club, is built on great players, and Julian is one of them, as well as being a great professional," Gil Marin told EFE.

"We have to compete with our values, with homegrown players and the best players we can bring in from outside.

"We are going to help Julian and continue to look after him, so he can reach his full potential... We must understand that Julian hasn't had the best advisors around him in recent months."

Alvarez could be involved when Atletico continue their La Liga campaign against Villarreal on Sunday afternoon.