Inter Milan CEO stuns Barcelona after his recent interview
Lautaro Martinez has been the prime target for Barcelona for quite some time now as Bartomeu plans on building a squad for the future. The Argentine forward was tipped to sign for the Blaugrana in the summer of 2020, however, the sudden signing of Antoine Griezmann ruled out all possibilities for Martinez to arrive at the Camp Nou that summer.
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Luis Suarez is expected to depart either this summer for a decent transfer fee or next summer for free when his contract runs out and the board claims Martinez to be the ideal replacement for the former Ajax Amsterdam striker. The last several months have seen several rumours claiming that Inter and Barca have been negotiating a deal for Lautaro.
Some rumours even stated that Barca had agreed to personal terms with the striker and was waiting for a final response from the Italian side to confirm the signing. Other rumours claimed that Barca was willing to offer several players to Inter Milan in exchange for Lautaro Martinez. However, Eldes marque reports that Inter Milan’s CEO has slammed all the rumours.
The statement by Inter Milan’s CEO
"“Lautaro is one of us, he has never shown an interest in going to Barça and he is a serious boy who is not influenced by rumors” – Inter Milan CEO, according to Eldes marque."
The credibility of the statement issued by the Serie A side’s CEO must be taken into consideration since earlier rumours had even stated that Inter were willing to let Lautaro Martinez depart this summer only on the condition that his 111 million euro offer is met.
However, the Argentine forward’s release clause has expired and the player is now available for just 90 million euros which is not an expensive figure for a player of his calibre and quality.
It could have been a tactical move from the Italian side as they are not prepared to lose Lautaro who has shown immense potential to evolve into one of the most lethal strikers. The player is now wanted by Real Madrid, Barcelona, and even Manchester City.
Inter could have used this as a tactic to take all the attention away from the possible departure of Lautaro Martinez.
Do you believe that Martinez never actually wanted to sign for the Blaugrana despite all the speculation for so many months? and if it is true, who should Barca now consider signing as a possible replacement for Suarez?