Atletico de Madrid and Roma both missed out on the chance to sign star striker Lautaro Martinez for €8m, his agent has claimed.
Diario AS cite quotes carried by Italian media outlet Tuttomercatoweb from the intermediary Luis Ruzzi, who claimed the striker was offered to the clubs when still at Argentine outfit Racing Club.
“I offered Lautaro to Roma in January 2018, when he cost €8m, which was the price of his termination clause, but the Giallorossi did not want him,” Ruzzi said.
In addition, the agent confirmed that there were “several conversations also with Atletico Madrid” which were “important, although they did not come to anything concrete.”
His release clause rocketed from €8m to €20m at the Argentine outfit and he eventually moved to Europe in June of that year.
Argentine international Martinez has netted 16 goals 31 appearances for the Inter this campaign and has particularly impressed in European competition, scoring five in six outings in the Champions League.
Martinez’s current deal with the Milanese giants runs to June 2023 and was signed in July 2018, when Inter paid Racing Club a reported €22.7m for his services and he has swiftly established himself as a star in Italy.
He now has a release clause of €111m with widespread reports that he is Barcelona’s main transfer objective this summer.
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“Playing behind closed doors – for us – is not much different to the games being cancelled.” – Find out who said this right here.
