Liverpool, Chelsea alerted as Serie A club eye regretful £70m sale amid dire straits
Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City are all paying attention to how Lautaro Martinez’s situation at Inter plays out this summer, a report claims.
The Argentine arrived in Serie A as very much a raw talent from Racing Club in his native country. After racking up 130 appearances, though, he has developed into one of Europe’s top strikers. He scored only nine goals in his first campaign, but has 18 this term and could still beat last season’s best tally of 21.
Amid his exciting rise, his future has come into doubt, with teams across Europe admiring his talents.
Indeed, Chelsea and Manchester City have had links in the past and 90min claims that the Premier League duo continue to keep tabs on the player.
However, unlike in previous transfer windows, they could have a solid chance at landing Martinez this summer.
Not only has he ran down another year of his contract, but Inter are in dire financial straits amid the cost of the coronavirus pandemic.
As such, 90min reports that Inter could be forced to sell one of their big stars – either the Argentine or Romelu Lukaku.
Although, the former remains the most likely to leave and his suitors could sign him for a decent price – as top strikers go. Inter would want £70million, but could accept less.
The report adds that Martinez particularly interests Manchester City and Chelsea; the pair believe he could be a solid alternative to Erling Haaland, who looks likely to stay at Borussia Dortmund.
Martinez’s contract runs out in 2023, but he insisted earlier this year that he has hope over a new deal.
“The contract renewal? We’re working on it,” he said. “Inter at the moment are in a bit of financial difficulty but I am calm because the agreement can be found.”
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Inter vice-president Javier Zanetti added: “It’s true that the club could’ve been sold mid-season.
“We were going through serious financial problems, even if we weren’t the only ones in such a difficult moment.”
Agent opens up on Martinez transfer
Meanwhile, Martinez’s agent has cast further doubt over his client’s future.
Alejandro Camano said: “We are calm, but the current situation of Inter prevents us from making any predictions. The lad is happy in Milan, he has just won a championship as a protagonist, but we cannot help but wait.
“At present it’s useless to make predictions. We, like the others, first want to understand what the future of the club will be.”
The comments come after Martinez was caught in a row with Inter head coach Antonio Conte on Wednesday.
READ MORE: Agent casts doubt on Inter star’s future after fiery clash with Conte
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