Lautaro Martinez will lead the charge for Inter as they host Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night, but he could have been on the other side of the fence if it hadn’t been for a late U-turn in 2018. El Toro was extremely close to joining the Rojiblancos from Racing, TuttoSport relays.
In December 2017, the striker took the medicals and signed a pre-contract with the Spanish team. Diego Simeone was already at the helm and was a big proponent of the signing. However, the Argentine wanted to help his team cash in as much as possible from his departure. He decided to pen a new contract before leaving, raising his release clause from €12M to €25M.
The turn of events slowed down the deal between Lautaro Martinez, Racing, and Atletico Madrid, and Inter realized they had a chance. Director Piero Ausilio flew to South America for face-to-face talks. The Nerazzurri took advantage of their bond with Diego Milito, who was an exec for the Avellaneda-based outfit at the time.
In the end, the Italian club shelled out €25M, including bonuses, and gave Racing a 10 percent re-sale clause that remains valid.
Atletico Madrid coach Giovanni Simeone spoke about Lautaro Martinez in his presser ahead of the Inter clash.
“He’s not their only player who could have come here at some point but didn’t. They are all strong. There’s no regret on our part. He has chosen the right path considering what he’s doing. I’m happy for him since he’s Argentinian.”
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