Arsenal continue to be heavily linked to Argentine striker Lautaro Martinez who is said to be looking to leave Inter Milan.
After Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left for Barcelona in the January transfer window and with both Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah poised to leave at the end of the current campaign, Mikel Arteta is seemingly under no illusions that he'll need to bolster his frontlines.
Martinez, 24, has been linked to a move to North London by The Times after a failed bid last summer. The Gunners reportedly were unable to match Inter's £60 million valuation last summer but Edu could return with another bid this time around, with Champions League football potentially on offer to the 24-year-old should Arsenal finish in the top four.
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Last summer saw the Gunners spend over £140million on new recruits, all of whom have had a positive impact at the Emirates Stadium, and Mikel Arteta is likely to be backed in the market once again. ut will Martinez arrive? With that in mind, football.london takes a look at the latest news and rumours.
Agent discusses future
Although there's been plenty of discussion around Martinez leaving Italy this summer, the player's agent, Alejandro Camaño, has insisted that he is only focussed on Inter right now, before hinting that he could leave after the season.
“Lautaro is very focused on the World Cup, sometimes the press publishes things about a possible transfer, but Lautaro thinks about Inter, giving joy to the Inter fans, becoming champions and then working for the World Cup. We are not expecting or looking for a transfer, he is at Inter, he is happy, the city is wonderful. We’re thinking about Inter.”
Finally, Camaño discussed how Lautaro will bring joy wherever he goes in his career.
“Lauti will give us a lot of joy in the coming years, wherever he goes he will be an entertainer. He comes from a super team like Racing, he suffered, now he is happy and he has got used to the fact that football is not always the same. Now he will be successful everywhere.”
Barcelona twist
Catalan giants Barcelona have been linked with Martinez, with some reports claiming that the La Liga outfit are keen to engineer a swap deal with Inter this summer. However, Italian outlet FC Inter News, via Sport Witness, have claimed that the Nerazzurri will only accept a cash offer for the player.
The report also claims that the Gunners have concrete interest in the 24-year-old and have 'stepped forward' for the Argentine.
Messi verdict
Paris Saint-Germain star and fellow Argentine Lionel Messi has previously hailed his countryman's abilities. “He’s spectacular,” talkSPORT quoted Messi as saying last year.
“He has impressive qualities. You could tell he was going to be a great player and he is showing that.
“He’s very strong, really good one on one, scores a lot of goals. And in the area he fights with anyone, holds it up, he can turn, scrap to win it all on his own.
“He has a lot of quality. He’s very complete.”
Martinez is 'staying at Inter'
According to Martinez's agent Camano, his client will not be leaving Italy this summer, despite significant interest across Europe in the talented forward. "He is staying at Inter," he said to Calciomercarto (via Football Italia).
"Lautaro has a five-year contract with Inter, he feels like an Interista. Inter are the team in his heart. He feels like an extra fan on the pitch.
"His family is also very happy in Milan. I can say with certainty: there is no possibility that Lautaro will leave Inter. He cares so much about winning with this club."
Agent provides major update
Martinez isn't desperate to leave the San Siro this summer and is focused on performing for Inter Milan, according to his agent Alejandro Camano. Camano told FCInter190, via Teamtalk: "Lautaro doesn’t think about himself, he only thinks about Inter.
"He wants to help and wants fans to be happy. Inter haven’t scored many goals lately, but it’s just a process and will return to scoring, that’s for sure.
"Lautaro wants Inter to win – he is not interested in personal success. We must remain calm because Lautaro is happy at Inter and is happy with Inter fans."
Arsenal 'ready to invest'
Calciomercato claim that Arsenal are 'ready to invest' in Martinez. The report does not put a figure on that investment but does imply that Arteta is willing to splash the cash when it comes to landing a new striker for the 2022-23 campaign.
Asking price
While Martinez continues to be linked with an exit, he also remains a pivotal figure at the San Siro. But the Italian giants are not closed off completely to selling their talisman.
According to a report from the Daily Star, Inter have slapped a £75million price tag on the striker ahead of the summer transfer window. It also states that Simone Inzaghi has identified a new target in the form of Sassuolo's Davide Fratessi and the sale of Martinez will be used to generate necessary funds.
Manchester United are also reported to hold a strong interest.
