Lautaro Martinez is reportedly one step away from pledging his long-term future to Inter following a summer jammed-full of wild speculation. Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano insists the parties are on the brink of finding an agreement over the forward’s contract extension.
Romano goes on to claim that the official announcement should arrive soon, saying Inter turned down lucrative bids from Atletico Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur a couple of weeks ago. According to him, the reigning Serie A titleholders knock back a pair of €70m offers from the European heavyweights to keep hold of their standout performer.
Pressured by growing financial troubles, Inter had to offload Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi this summer to balance the books. Many had thought that the duo’s heartbreaking sales could trigger Martinez’s departure, considering he’s lost his partner in crime.
Adding to this sentiment, the Argentine had several lucrative offers on the table, with Atletico and Spurs going head-to-head to land his signature throughout the summer. However, the 24-year-old has seemingly decided to stick with Inter and commit his long-term future to the Giuseppe Meazza.
Martinez has opened the new season, launching Inter’s mesmerizing second-half comeback at the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi on Friday night. The ex-Racing Club starlet returned to the fold after serving a yellow-card suspension and made an immediate impact to help I Nerazzurri pick up themselves up from a half-time deficit against Hellas Verona.
Martinez scored a free header a minute into the second half before new signing Joaquin Correa sealed the hosts’ fate with a late quick-fire brace, catapulting Inter to a 3-1 victory.
Lautaro was a key component of Antonio Conte’s title-winning team last season. Based on his inaugural performance this term, he is likely to be equally significant to new manager Simone Inzaghi.