Lionel Messi’s Argentina Teammate Could Force His Move Out Of Current Club To Join Barcelona: Report

Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez reportedly is prepared to force his move out of Inter Milan to join Barcelona.

Martinez has been heavily linked with Barcelona ahead of the summer transfer window but the negotiations between the two clubs are constantly getting held up because the Italian side has no intension of letting one of their best strikers go.

The 22-year-old striker, who joined Inter Milan ahead of the 2018-19 season, has a clause in his contract that allows a club to meet his release clause of $124 million to sign the talented forward. Even though Martinez is currently contracted at Inter Milan until 2023, Barcelona can bring him to Nou Camp provided they pay his high termination fee. Due to the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Barca are suffering from financial crisis and Inter are in no mood to accept a bargain for the striker, who has scored 25 goals in 67 appearances for them so far.

Barcelona have even proposed to offer a few players including talented Ivan Rakitic, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele to Inter Milan along with $101 million as a part of the deal for Martinez, who plays with Lionel Messi at Argentina national team and the latter has been eager to have his young teammate at Nou Camp next season.

Inter Milan CEO Giuseppe Marotta recently insisted in an interview that he is unaware of Barcelona’s negotiations and he is not looking at selling Martinez this summer.

According to a report in the Spanish media firm Sport, Martinez has made up his mind about moving to Barcelona at the end of 2019-20 season and has also agreed to sign a five-year deal with the Catalans. Martinez first chose to discuss with Inter manager Antonio Conte about his desire to join Barcelona next season. Martinez ensured Conte that he would give his all in the remainder of the season and asked the club to respect his decision to leave.

The report has further revealed that while Inter Milan are not ready to budge even after the player politely expressing his desire to leave at the end of the current campaign, Martinez is prepared to speak in public about the issues Inter have been creating to stop his move to Barcelona.