Lautaro Martinez will remain an Inter player next season, with the Nerazzurri deeming the striker to be unsellable, according to reports.
This from today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, who claim that contract extension talks have begun with the player despite recent rumours linking him away from the club.
Inter’s need to sell a major high-value playing asset in the summer has been widely reported, and Martinez’s name had come up as a possibility to depart at one point, but with Achraf Hakimi’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain imminent there is no pressing need to sell the Argentine.
On the player’s end, he is happy in Milan, and with the club being clear that he is an important member of Simone Inzaghi’s project going forward he should remain at the club.
The player’s current contract is set to expire in June 2023, and the Nerazzurri are hoping to extend him on beyond that date soon.
Discussions over a possible renewal had been ongoing in the past, but the 23-year-old’s decision to switch agents meant that talks temporary came to a halt as negotiations had to be resumed with a new agent.
The player currently earns a net of €2.5 million per season at the Giuseppe Meazza, and is thought to be seeking a significant salary increase to reflect his status as a key player at the club and top European footballer, to at least double his current wage.
It remains to be seen whether salary talks will be fruitful, but the dialogue now appears to be up and running, with the subject have been brought up in a visit by his agent Alejandro Camano to Inter headquarters yesterday.
In recent weeks Camano had made remarks which seemed to suggest that Martinez was not entirely happy at the Giuseppe Meazza and could seek a move away, with Spanish giants Barcelona and Real and Atletico Madrid all thought to be keenly interested in his signature.
However, based on yesterday’s evidence, Camano is ready to deal with the Nerazzurri to help facilitate his client’s and the club’s wish of a longer stay with the current Italian champions, but on significantly improved personal terms.
