Javier Zanetti Affirms that Lautaro Martinez will not Leave Inter Milan

DBasia.news – Barcelona are reportedly continuing to chase Inter Milan striker, Lautaro Martinez. However, the desire of the Catalan club was tarnished by the vice president of the Nerazzurri, Javier Zanetti. Zanetti confirmed that Lautaro Martinez will not leave Inter Milan this season.

The Argentine forward has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona this summer and that has escalated amid rumors of Luis Suarez’s departure to Juventus.

But club legend, Zanetti has sought to allay fears that Inter will lose the hotshot striker who formed an effective partnership with Romelu Lukaku last season.

He insists that the 23-year-old player is happy in Italy, despite being linked with a move to Barca, two years after he joined Inter from Racing Club.

“Lautaro will not leave Inter,” Zanetti told Fox Sport as quoted by the Daily Mail, Thursday (10/9).

According to him, it is not only Barcelona who is interested in Lautaro. In addition, he said, Lautaro knew that he was already at a great club.

“He appears happy with his life in Italy, which is not easy. I think he is going on the right path. For now, he will not leave. He is our present and our future. There is respect on the part of the club,” he said.

“There are players who’s clauses we have released and there is little you can do when the club comes and pays for them. But in the case of Lautaro, he is fine at Inter and I know when he is happy,” he added.

Spanish newspaper, Mundo Deportivo reported earlier this week that Barcelona were considering a move for Lyon star, Memphis Depay as a cheaper alternative to Martinez.

They claim that in principle Barcelona have agreed  to a deal with the Inter Milan striker. But due to the economic context of the coronavirus crisis and the reluctance of Serie A clubs to sell him for less than 98.9 million pounds, this means that conversations between the two sides has come to a halt.