Legendary Inter defender Riccardo Ferri has shared his hope that Lautaro Martinez will knock back the advances of Barcelona and stay put at Inter.
The highly rated 22-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the reigning Spanish champions with reports relating to a possible move coming out almost daily both in the Italian and Spanish media.
Lautaro has a €111 million release clause in his current contract with Inter but it is understood that Barcelona only want to do a player(s) plus cash deal for him.
A report from Italian broadcaster Sport Mediaset claimed that Inter have told Barcelona that if they wish to go down that route they must pay €90 million plus send Arturo Vidal on a permanent basis and Antoine Griezmann on a season long loan.
“Lautaro has grown a lot since Icardi left and he can grow even more. Inter will only sell him in order to improve the team, perhaps by signing a couple of players who can raise the level of the team,” Ferri, who spent 13 years of his 15 year playing career on Inter’s books between 1981 and 1994, remarked in an interview with Italian radio station Radio Sportiva last night.
“If Barcelona were to present an offer containing a fair amount of money it would be difficult to say but I hope that Lautaro will remain because I consider him one of the best strikers in the world.”
