Lautaro Martinez 'disappointed' with Romelu Lukaku over Inter saga
- Inter were negotiating the signing of Lukaku from Chelsea before pulling out
- Nerazzurri believe Lukaku held talks with Juventus despite insisting he only wanted Inter
- Martinez and Lukaku formed a deadly partnership
By Tom Gott
Inter striker Lautaro Martinez has admitted he was disappointed with Romelu Lukaku's conduct as the Nerazzurri tried to sign him from Chelsea.
The two clubs had been locked in transfer talks for months and were finally nearing an agreement when Lukaku failed to return Inter's calls and was accused of holding talks with fierce rivals Juventus, despite having insisted he was only interested in a return to San Siro.
Inter wasted little time in abandoning their pursuit of the Belgian and ending hopes of yet another reunion between Martinez and Lukaku, who were one of Europe's fiercest strike forces just a few years ago.
The behaviour of Lukaku, who had publicly and privately insisted he would never entertain a move to another Italian side, also took a toll on Martinez, who spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport about the whole saga.
"I was disappointed, it’s the truth," he said. "I also tried to call him in those days of chaos, he never answered me, the same he did with my other teammates.
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"After so many years together, after so many things lived together, I was disappointed. Thankfully, it’s his choice. I wish him the best. But I didn’t expect this attitude."
Lukaku was left out of Chelsea's pre-season squad as the Blues continue to try and drum up interest in the Belgian.
Juventus are known admirers but must resolve the future of Dusan Vlahovic before considering a formal bid, while Lukaku has rebuffed interest from Saudi Arabia in the hope of landing a new club in Europe.
Offers from the Middle East remain on the table but the final decision rests with Lukaku, who still has three years remaining on his Chelsea contract and is set to net the Blues an enormous loss on the £97.5m they paid to sign him just two years ago. A fee of £40m was quoted to Inter before the breakdown in talks.
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