Inter Milan stars ‘expect Lautaro Martinez to join Barcelona in next transfer window’

Inter Milan players are expecting Lautaro Martinez to make his move to Barcelona in the next transfer window, according to reports.

Martinez is one of Europe’s hottest commodities after announcing himself at Inter, which has seen him attract the attention of Manchester City and Chelsea, who hope to battle it out with Barca for his services.

However, The Telegraph are reporting that the Argentine hotshot will likely make a move to the Nou Camp rather than the Premier League once the window reopens.

Lautaro Martinez is expected to make a move to Barcelona in the next transfer window 

The 22-year-old arrived in Milan just two years ago for £19.5million from Argentine side Racing Club and still has three years left on his current deal with Inter.

Martinez is now at the top of Barcelona’s transfer wishlist after a superb campaign that saw him bag 11 league goals and five in the Champions League. 

The Catalan giants view Martinez as Luis Suarez’s long-term successor, with the Uruguayan forward entering the twilight years of his career.

The Catalan giants view Martinez as Luis Suarez’s long-term successor at the Nou Camp

While he is their main target, Martinez still comes at a high price, with Inter wanting £97.5m for him.

The move is expected to go ahead despite the extraordinary turmoil at Barca’s boardroom level, which saw six members quit over how the club was run during the coronavirus pandemic.

The money may not be there to pay the release clause in full but Barca are expected to offer players-plus-cash deal in a bid to secure Martinez’s switch.

Inter Milan vice-president Javier Zanetti believes Martinez is ‘happy’ at the club and will stay

While reports continuously link Martinez away from the club, Inter’s vice-president Javier Zanetti believes the striker is ‘happy’ at the club and is confident they can keep hold of the Argentine.

‘At Inter I see him happy, he identifies with the club,’ Zanetti told ESPN.

‘We believed in him. I see his future at Inter.’