Barcelona Finalizing A Deal For FC Inter Lautaro Martinez To Lower $121 Million Price Tag

FC Inter forward Lautaro Martinez is edging closer to completing a permanent transfer to FC Barcelona.

The Argentinian could be the next Serie A star to move to Spanish La Liga following AC Milan winger Suso and AS Roma former captain Alessandro Florenzi, who joined respectively Sevilla and Valencia in January.

Barcelona have earmarked Lautaro Martinez after his very positive 2019/2020 season under the guidance of coach Antonio Conte.

The departure of Inter former captain Mauro Icardi for French league giant Paris Saint-Germain allowed the Argentinian striker to spend more time on the pitch, netting a whopping 16 goals and 4 assists so far.

Together with Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, the Nerazzurri’s number 10 managed to score an astonishing total of 30 goals in all competitions, making them one of the best Serie A forward couples in Europe.

According to the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, the management at FC Barcelona is deeply convinced that the upcoming summer transfer window will be decisive to secure the deal.

With 33-year-old Luis Suarez still recovering from a serious knee injury since January, the signing of Lautaro is considered “a strategic one”, the newspaper concludes.

Additionally, Barcelona boss Quique Setien has confirmed that his club are definitely keen on signing him, admitting Lautaro Martinez “can be very good” for his team.

“He’s an important player, a great player, and Barcelona are always interested in great players”, he told in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.

Even FC Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi did not hide his admiration for his compatriot. 

“Lautaro is spectacular, you could tell that he would have become a great footballer, now he has exploded and is showing it”, he told in an interview with Mundo Deportivo.

“He is an impressive striker. I think he’s complete and has many qualities. He is very strong, has great dribbling skills, matched with the ability to score goals, and knows how to protect the ball”, concluded Messi.

An endorsement that convinced the ‘Blaugrana’ to offer a bumper $11 million-a-year contract deal to the player, who allegedly already accepted the wage offer, La Repubblica reports. 

The teams are still negotiating to reach a deal, with the Italian side eager to cash the $121 million necessary for the buy-out clause.

However, the price could be an obstacle for Barcelona’s budget, as the Catalans currently struggle with the economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an interview with ESPN, the club's vice president Jordi Cardoner admitted that the coronavirus crisis has already cost the club between $130 and $140 million.

Which is why Barcelona are hoping to bring the price-tag down with several players in exchange.

According to Tuttosport, Inter were offered to choose two out of the five of Nelson Semedo, Junior Firpo, Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic and Samuel Umtiti.

The Catalans have already seen their first $55 million bid plus Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal and Spanish left-back Junior Firpo rejected.

Negotiations are still ongoing to find a satisfactory deal for both parties, although the outcome remains uncertain.

Bought in February 2018 from Argentinian team Racing Avellaneda, Lautaro Martinez arrived in Milan for a mere $26,6 million transfer fee.

If FC Inter parted ways with Lautaro, the Italians would net a whopping $94 million profit from the transaction.

Should the deal go through, Lautaro Martinez - nicknamed ‘El Toro’ (Spanish for ‘The Bull’) - will become the most expensive Argentine soccer player of all time.