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Inter Milan CEO Giuseppe Meazza has said that striker Lautaro Martinez - an Arsenal and Chelsea target - feels that he 'belongs' to the city and the club. The Argentine has been with the Nerazzurri since the 2018-19 season.
Martinez, 26, is coming off a superb campaign for Inter, bagging 27 goals and seven assists in 44 games across competitions. He played a key role in Inter's Serie A triumph, with 24 goals and six assists in 33 games.
Despite his contract expiring in 2026, Marotta wants to tie down the Argentine to a longer deal. However, he's in no hurry, citing the importance the striker knows he has at Inter. Marotta said (as per HITC):
“It’s not a concern, it’s negotiations, negotiations that represent typical dynamics of the world of football, especially at this stage of the season. Let’s start with an important consideration, which is that Lautaro has a great sense of belonging to this club, this city and he will help us in the negotiation with his agent.
“There is certainly no hurry. We will take it slowly. There are business priorities. In due course, we will also address these issues. If we want to consider them as such, but not too much because they are ordinary situations”.
The Gunners and the Blues are looking for upgrades to their attack following the underwhelming returns of their current crop. However, Marotta's statement about Martinez means they might have to look elsewhere for options.
How Arsenal and Chelsea fared in the Premier League in the 2023-24 season
Arsenal and Chelsea have had contrasting campaigns in the Premier League in the recently concluded season. While the Gunners finished behind champions Manchester City, the Blues ended sixth to return to Europe.
Mikel Arteta's side went unbeaten against the four-time defending champions, but that wasn't enough to end their own 20-year league title drought. To their credit, they kept the title race alive going into the final day of the season, but City avoided dropping points to take the title by two points.
Meanwhile, Chelsea finished the season on a high - with five straight wins - to qualify for the UEFA Europa League. Following their early struggles with a new-look squad plagued by injuries, they avoided bottom-half finishes for the second straight year.
