Barcelona could reportedly suffer a transfer blow as it’s claimed Lautaro Martinez could cost them up to €200m to prise away from Inter.
As previously noted by Mundo Deportivo, the Catalan giants are starting to plan a long-term solution up front to replace stalwart Luis Suarez.
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On their touted shortlist of potential targets is Martinez, who continues to impress for Inter this season following his move to Europe last year.
The 22-year-old has bagged five goals and two assists in 10 appearances across all competitions so far this season, as he looks set to play a pivotal role under Antonio Conte to get the Nerazzurri challenging for major honours.
However, it appears as though they may well be concerned by talk of interest from Barcelona as it’s now claimed by Mundo Deportivo that his agent, Beto Yaque, has been cited by Inter over the release clause in his client’s contract, which is said to ensure they could receive up to €200m if they green light an exit.
That could be a hammer blow to Barcelona’s hopes of prising him away from the Italian giants, as it would force them to dig even deeper into their pockets to satisfy Inter’s demands if they are genuinely keen to bolster their squad with the Argentine international, as it was previously suggested he would cost €110m.
Lionel Messi will know all about Martinez’s qualities given he has also scored nine goals in 15 caps for Argentina, and so time will tell if the pair are playing alongside each other at club level too in the near future.
Should he sign the new deal with Inter though, that would be a huge signal that he’s ready to commit his long-term future to the club and will surely give Barcelona the impression that a switch to the Nou Camp is not a priority for him.
