Lautaro Martinez has insisted that he is ready to deal with the pressure of playing for Inter and says he ‘cannot wait’ to make his debut in the Champions League with the Nerazzurri.
The Argentine forward was officially announced as Inter’s fifth signing of the summer on Wednesday and is due to get his first taste of Italian football next week when Luciano Spalletti’s side begin pre-season training, where he will meet up amongst others with fellow new signings Radja Nainggolan, Matteo Politano, Stefan De Vrij and Kwadwo Asamoah.
Martinez was given an eye-catching presentation by Inter on the club’s social media profiles, with a video that presented him to fans as ‘El Toro’ (the bull), but the 20 year-old is confident that he is ready to cope with the hype surrounding his arrival from Racing Club.
“It was incredible the way Inter presented me,” he told ESPN on Thursday. “I can’t wait to be there in Italy amongst the fans.
“I know there will be a lot of pressure on my shoulders but it’s a responsibility I want to take upon myself. I’ll train in the best possible way to be a key player this season.”
Martinez also spoke of his excitement at playing in the UEFA Champions League, which Inter will return to this season following a six-year absence, as well as his gratitude to club captain Mauro Icardi for offering to help him out during his first few weeks in Italy.
“I can’t wait to play in the Champions League, I’ve been dreaming about it since I was a child. And I think this is the right moment to leave Racing Club and move to Europe.
“I really appreciated Icardi’s gesture, who took time out of his summer holidays to call me and ask if I needed help with anything.”
