Atletico Madrid has joined the list of top clubs monitoring Lautaro Martinez. The striker has only two years left on his deal and decided to postpone extension talks. Inter have no intention of selling him this summer. However, La Liga could be his natural next destination in the near future, Alfredo Pedullà reports.
Barcelona insistently pursued the 23-year-old striker, but they have relented given their economic situation. He is on Real Madrid’s radar as a secondary option behind Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. The Colchoneros are tracking his situation with a watchful eye. Adding a prolific striker would further raise the level of their squad, catapulting them to the top echelon of European football.
Atletico Madrid have a long history of purchases from Serie A as they are helmed by Italian director Andrea Berta. Their most recent coup was Rodrigo De Paul, whom they signed for €35M from Udinese. Moreover, Diego Simeone is an attractive factor for Argentinian players.
The Spanish club has briefly chased after Paulo Dybala, but he plans to stay at Juventus. The interest from multiple sides could push Inter to reignite the negotiation to prolong Martinez’s contract, although they want to keep the wages-bill in check.
The Nerazzurri have never seriously considered partying ways with him or Romelu Lukaku despite receiving sizeable bids. However, they would be in an eerie spot if they did come to terms with El Toro before next summer. Atletico Madrid are credible contenders for the forward, the transfer market expert indicates.