After the departure of legendary striker Robert Lewandowski over the summer, Barcelona were on the lookout for a new forward to lead their attack.
The Spanish giants were linked to the likes of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez but ultimately signed Arsenal star Gabriel Jess in a deal worth just £8.6M.
He has since scored twice in 4 appearances, including in the Champions League against Feyenoord in what was a 5-1 victory.
However, life could have been different for Barcelona as Laporta revealed this week that the side aimed to bring in Serie A winner Martinez from Italian side Inter Milan.
"One day I called Marotta (Giuseppe Marotta, Inter CEO)," the Barça chief told Corriere della Sera. "It was he and I on the call, no intermediaries, and I told him I would have loved to have Lautaro on my team because I admire the guy so much.
"But Marotta didn't even let me finish speaking. He made it clear Lautaro wasn't for sale and that it wouldn't be up to the player to decide whether or not to move. So I stopped the whole line of thought. There was no way to take it any further."
Martinez was also a target in 2020 when they were looking to replace Luis Suárez, showing how Barcelona have been long-term admirers of the 29-year-old who remains loyal to Inter.
After winning three Scudettos, three Coppa Italia and reaching two Champions League finals with Inter, Martinez is seeking more glory this season as his side sit joint top of the Serie A table.