Arsenal are still interested in buying Lautaro Martinez from Inter this summer.
The 23-year-old has gained a terrible reputation over the past two seasons, scoring 38 goals, and the key to his success has been his relationship with strike partner Romelu Lukaku, who pushed Inter to the Serie A title last semester.
Although I Nerazzurri prefer to keep half of the LuLu duo, they remain under pressure to stabilize their finances in the coming months.
Their short-term future is secure thanks to the sale of Achraf Hakimi to Paris Saint-Germain and several injections of cash, but Inter still have some way to go before reaching their target of reducing operating costs by 15% to 20%.
According to The Athletic, Arsenal can try to get the most out of this. The Gunners are big fans of the Argentine and have already asked about his availability. Martinez himself would be open to the move if Inter agreed to let him go.
Lukaku, Christian Eriksen and Alexis Sanchez are all believed to earn significantly more than him and a Premier League move would cause his salaries to skyrocket. Martinez had been in line for a new contract, only for Inter’s financial problems and his change of agent to put it in jeopardy.
It is understood that although Inter have previously expressed interest in Hector Bellerin, they would not be open to a player plus cash contracts. Arsenal would therefore need to move players – probably Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah – before placing a bid.
Tottenham have also acquired an interest in Martinez. However, this is probably only a contingency plan if Harry Kane leaves for Manchester City. Elsewhere, Arsenal are still keen to sign a creative midfielder with Martin Odegaard and James Maddison both in sight.
