Arsenal’s hopes of signing Lautaro Martinez seems dead, with Inter Milan ruling out the player’s exit as they prepare to lose Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea.
According to reports, Lukaku has informed Inter of his desire to return to Chelsea – where he feels he still has unfinished business – and they are expected to get the Belgian if they make a third bid in excess of £100m.
Lukaku’s partner in attack, Martinez, has also been linked with a move to Arsenal as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his attack for the new season.
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Martinez is said to be keen on joining the Gunners and it was thought Inter could be prepared to listen to offers for the Argentine star given their financial struggles, as they look to balance the books.
Recently, around €60m was generated from the sale of Achraf Hakimi and it looks likely Lukaku will follow the Moroccan out of the club, despite Inter’s owners promising no more ‘big’ exits.
Sky Sport Italia claims Inter are now resigned to losing Lukaku but Martinez will be staying, with new manager Simone Inzaghi unwilling to lose two key attacking stars before the transfer deadline.
The report claims both Arsenal and Atletico Madrid are interested in Martinez, and Tottenham also considered a move amid the uncertainty over the future of Harry Kane.
Martinez appears to be staying at Inter and they hope to resume contract talks with him before the end of the summer, with his current contract due to expire in 2023.
Martinez has scored 49 goals in 132 matches since arriving at the cluh from Racing Club back in 2018.
He has had an enjoyable few months at both Inter and Argentina, first lifting the Scudetto before helping Argentina to Copa America glory.
