Moratti sold Inter in October 2013. He had owned the Italian giants for 18 years.
In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Moratti was asked if there are any missed transfer targets he especially regrets.
"(Andrés) Iniesta . We were in a phase where we had enormous attractiveness and economic power. I'm not saying we could have bought anyone, but almost, he says and continues:
"Well, we tried with Barcelona , we tried in every way with diplomatic approaches on several fronts, with mediators, we went in person, tried to start negotiations that would be in our favour. There was no way. They would have sold anyone except Iniesta. We could have made a crazy offer, but we would still have gone back to Milan alone."
Moratti also says that Messi was on the agenda when he was a teenager.
"We followed him during the U18 World Cup. We were about to buy him, but when I heard what Barcelona did for his health problems, I let it go, I swear."
Inter's former owner also reveals that he had the opportunity to sign Francesco Totti when Roma were having major financial problems.
"The ownership of Roma was then full of debts, full of them. The president was so desperate that he went so far as to offer me Totti. Crying.
"Totti might have chosen to stay in Rome anyway, but still we at Inter decided to leave him alone. It's a football thing, sentimental things."