Inter Reduce Asking Price for Barcelona Target Lautaro Martinez to €90m
By Ali Rampling
Inter have lowered their asking price for Lautaro Martinez to €90m, with Barcelona in hot pursuit of the Argentinian striker.
Martinez is one of Barcelona's top summer targets, and is being lined up as the long term replacement for Luis Suarez at Camp Nou.
The forward had previously been available had his €111m release clause been met, however this expired on 7 July.
The expiration of the release clause means that an alternative fee for Martinez could now be accepted, and according to Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera, Inter have lowered the 22-year-old's asking price by around €21m.
However, due to the financial uncertainty triggered by the coronavirus, this figure could still be beyond the Barcelona budget.
The Catalan giants recently sold Arthur to Inter's Serie A rivals Juventus for €72m, but with Miralem Pjanic heading in the opposite direction, Barcelona only turned a profit of €10m from the deal.
The club orchestrated the Arthur-Pjanic deal as a short-term solution for their current financial troubles following years of wage mismanagement.
Barcelona are desperately trying to offload Philippe Coutinho, who has spent the past two seasons out on loan following his £105m move from Liverpool, and whether they can afford a move for Martinez could hinge on the success they have in finding a buyer for the Brazilian.
The club have been exploring another potential swap deal in order to secure the signing of Martinez, with Arturo Vidal and Nelson Semedo both linked with an move to Inter.
Martinez has scored 17 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions for Antonio Conte's side this season, but has struggled somewhat since Serie A returned in June.
The striker has only found the net once since the Italian top flight returned, and is without a goal in his last five appearances having missed a penalty during Inter's recent defeat to Bologna.