Barcelona move closer as Inter Milan seem interested in new transfer deal for Lautaro Martinez
Lautaro Martinez transfer saga might finally be coming to an end as Barcelona appears to have the perfect blueprint to get the Argentine to Camp Nou. According to recent reports in Mundo Deportivo, the Catalan club are willing to offer Inter Milan 70 million in cash plus Junior Firpo for Lautaro and if the reports are to be believed, the Italian club might just accept this deal as they look to gain maximum profit from the sale of their star striker.
In an interview, Barcelona's vice president Jordi Cardoner admitted that the coronavirus crisis has already cost the club between $130 and $140 million, which is why they are hoping to bring the price-tag down of several players in the upcoming transfer window. According to Tuttosport, Inter were offered to choose one player out of the group of Nelson Semedo, Junior Firpo, Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic, and Samuel Umtiti.
Lautaro Martinez has been Barcelona's primary transfer target.
Barcelona have marked signing of Martinez as a priority objective, since the higher-ups at Camp Nou believe that it's finally time to seek a quality replacement for Luis Suárez. The Catalunya club have kept their sights locked onto Lautaro Martinez after his impressive performance in Serie A 2019/2020 season under the guidance of coach Antonio Conte at Inter Milan.
The departure of former Inter captain Mauro Icardi to French league giants Paris Saint-Germain allowed Lautaro to spend more time on the pitch, netting a whopping 16 goals and 4 assists so far. Together with Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, the Argentine international has managed to score an astonishing 30 goals in all competitions this season, making them arguably the best strike partnership in Serie A.
Barcelona boss spoke on Lautoro in a recent interview
Quique Setien has confirmed that his club are definitely keen on signing Lautaro Martinez, admitting he “can be very good” for his team. The Barcelona boss talked about the Argentine in a recent interview with Gazzetta Dello Sport.
“He’s an important player, a great player, and Barcelona are always interested in great players”
Even FC Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi did not hide his admiration for his compatriot as he spoke with Mundo Deportivo.
"Lautaro is spectacular, you could tell that he would have become a great footballer, now he has exploded and is showing it. He is an impressive striker. I think he’s complete and has many qualities. He is very strong, has great dribbling skills, matched with the ability to score goals, and knows how to protect the ball."
Reports in Italy claim the Argentine has already struck a five-year deal with Barcelona worth 12 million euros plus bonuses annually. He is now awaiting the outcome of talks between the two clubs and his desire is clear, to move to Camp Nou in order to play alongside his national captain Lionel Messi.
If the deal between Barcelona and Inter Milan does go through, ‘El Toro’ Lautaro Martinez will become the most expensive Argentine transfer of all time.