Inter President Beppe Marotta confirms Barcelona asked for Lautaro Martinez, but ‘he represents the present and future’ of the club, while Napoli aren’t the only Scudetto contenders.
It kicks off at San Siro at 17.00 UK time (18.00 CEST).
This has been the battle for the last two editions of the Scudetto, with Napoli taking it in 2025 and the Nerazzurri securing the title last season.
Marotta building on Inter foundations
“It’s not just Inter and Napoli up for the Scudetto, but also Roma, Juventus and others I don’t want to forget, including Como, who are an outsider of prestige. It all means the final result is very undecided,” Marotta told DAZN Italia.
It has been an unusual few days for the Nerazzurri, with the surprising and sudden departure of director Piero Ausilio, who had been at the club in various roles since 2005.
However, compared to last summer when Simone Inzaghi walked away in the wake of a Champions League Final defeat, there is a relative sense of stability and confidence.
“Winning helps you to keep winning, but confirmation is also the toughest thing to do. We haven’t achieved anything yet, so if we want to make history, we need to keep digging deep for that motivation precisely because we are the team to beat, which makes every game more difficult.”
John Stones and Curtis Jones remain on the bench, while Djed Spence is still working his way back to fitness following the move from Tottenham Hotspur.
Hakan Calhanoglu is also rested ahead of the Champions League trip to Real Madrid.
Francesco Pio Esposito signed a contract extension this week, but Federico Dimarco complained he had not been approached yet to discuss a new deal.
“We have a great deal of respect for all our players, and soon we will meet with various agents to see what their needs are. There is a great sense of belonging at Inter, and together we will evaluate how to continue these rapports.”
There were reports that Barcelona had made an approach to ask for Lautaro Martinez this summer, only to be rebuffed.
“It is true, but also true that the response from us and the player was to continue together. Lautaro Martinez is the captain, he represents the present and the future of Inter, so long may he reign,” smiled Marotta.
