Recent reports indicated that Barcelona could tender a massive bid to lure Lautaro Martinez away from Inter after Atletico Madrid refused to engage in the negotiation for Julian Alvarez, but there’s nothing concrete between the clubs, and, in the meantime, the Nerazzurri have ironed out their agreement with Francesco Pio Esposito.
According to Fabrizio Romano (via SOSFanta), the Blaugrana are indeed looking for an elite striker after their top target fell through. While his agent might have had a chat with them, the Italian champions haven’t received any offer for their captain.
Inter fully rely on Martinez for the upcoming season and don’t anticipate surprises, and Esposito isn’t going anywhere either. The youngster will soon get a year added to his deal. His wages will grow from €1M to €2.5M as a reward for his performances.
Despite the stellar competition, the 21-year-old carved out a significant role for himself in his maiden campaign at the Giuseppe Meazza. He appeared 48 times in 2025/2026, tallying 10 goals and 3 assists. He’ll be particularly useful again at the beginning of the campaign. The reigning ‘capocannoniere’ and Marcus Thuram reported back late after the World Cup.
Our Take on Inter, Martinez, and Esposito
Several big-ticket strikers will be attached to Barcelona now that they are shopping for one, and the Argentinian connection is quite obvious. While El Toro might not necessarily end his career in Milan, and there’s a long way to go before that, if he ever departs, it’d be stunning if it occurred near the end of a window, leaving the side in a big pickle. Instead, despite the significant pay bump, the starlet is still somewhat of a bargain.
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The post Inter Downplay Lautaro Martinez Buzz, Lock Up Esposito appeared first on The Cult of Calcio.
