Blow at the last moment: official statement scuppers Barcelona's plan

What happened?

Inter Milan have slammed the door on any Federico Dimarco move to Barcelona. Club president Giuseppe Marotta confirmed the Italian full-back is not for sale, leaving a proposed swap involving Alejandro Balde on the brink of collapse just hours before the window shuts.

According to "Sport", Barcelona spent recent days weighing up a plan to send Balde to Inter in exchange for Dimarco, an attempt to sort out a left-back position that still worries the Catalan club despite the arrival of Joao Cancelo.

Marotta shut it down bluntly. He confirmed Dimarco is "not for sale, and there is no intention to allow him to leave in the near future", stressing that the player is one of the key elements in the Italian club's project.

That categorical stance from Inter's management all but kills off the swap. Dimarco holds a central role in the side, having played 237 matches in the club's shirt, scoring 26 goals and providing 52 assists, including 8 goals and 18 assists last season alone.

Inter's commitment runs beyond the technical side. The Italian club want to extend his contract, which expires in June 2027, while bumping his annual salary from 4 million to 5 million euros in a bid to lock down his future over the coming years.

Balde's situation at Barcelona, meanwhile, remains a talking point. The Spanish full-back has told the club he wants to stay, and returned to the squad for the clash with Athletic Bilbao on the second matchday of La Liga, though he did not feature.

With the window's final hours ticking down, Barcelona are hunting for answers at left-back, particularly after Balde's showings last season. Inter's refusal to part with Dimarco slams shut one of the most prominent options on the table for the Catalan club's management.