Inter Milan CEO Beppe Marotta pours cold water on emerging rumors linking Lautaro Martinez with a move to PSG.
News reports have been linking the French giants with a possible onslaught on the Argentine to replace the departing Kylian Mbappé.
Nevertheless, Marotta reveals that his club has yet to be approached by the Ligue 1 champions.
And in any case, the 66-year-old insists that Inter aren’t inferior to Paris Saint-Germain.
“We take risks every day, this is the nature of football,” said the Nerazzurri CEO in his pre-match interview with Sky Sport Italia (via FcInterNews) ahead of the team’s encounter against Salernitana.
“There are no signs in this direction. If there were, we would manage them in the best possible way.
“However, we won’t let the media reports influence us because we are Inter and I don’t see the difference between us and PSG.
“Maybe they have different goals but we have a strong ownership as well. We are competitive thanks to the backing we receive from the board.
“We have important objectives and we want to concentrate on this path.”
Speaking of Martinez, Marotta is confident that he and Nicolo Barella will both renew their contracts with the club.
“We’re not anxious about it, because we are dealing with professionals. These are real men who love this jersey.
“We are confident but we don’t want to talk about it too much. In the next two months, we would like to focus on the matches.”
In the last few days, Inter have secured agreements with Piotr Zielinski and Mehdi Taremi. The duo will join as free agents in the summer.
However, the Inter CEO remains coy on whether the club can soon announce the deals or not.
“Piero Ausilio and Dario Baccin monitor the opportunities for free agents. There is strong attention for both players.
“we will see transparently whether the deals can be announced or not.”
Inter Milan CEO Beppe Marotta Downplays Lautaro Martinez To PSG Talks
As for tonight’s clash against Salernitana, Simone Inzaghi opted for limited squad rotation, and Marotta fully understands the coach’s choices.
“Inter must get the most out of every competition. The coach works with the group every day and he evaluates who should take the pitch.
“The matches then last 100 minutes and the changes are increasingly important. Simone knows what he has to do and he is doing an excellent job.
“This match is easy only on paper but it hides terrible pitfalls. It’s one of the most difficult matches.
“Winning would mean opening a 10-point gap and therefore we have to play with determination, beyond good football.
“The points of difference must be forgotten, we must face them as if they were second in the standings.”
Finally, Marotta expressed his excitement for the return of Champions League football. The Nerazzurri take on Atletico Madrid on Tuesday in the first leg of the Round of 16.
“Participating in the most important club competition in Europe and perhaps in the world is a source of pride.
“It rewards all the corporate components and we want to honor it in the best possible way. We will be ready for this challenge against a tough team.
“They have a tenacious coach [Diego Simone] who knows how to get the best out of them. It won’t be easy but I’m confident in the quality of the players and the intuitions of the coach.”
