Beppe Marotta is absolutely right when he says Inter have nothing to fear from Paris Saint-Germain for Lautaro Martinez, writes Susy Campanale.
With the news that Kylian Mbappé is finally set to walk away – after what feels like five years of threatening to do so, always with Real Madrid waiting – PSG know they need some big name signings this summer to keep the notoriously angry fans at bay. Victor Osimhen of Napoli and Milan winger Rafael Leao have emerged as contenders, who both have release clauses in their contracts and could well relish that challenge. However, Lautaro Martinez would be a fool to accept that transfer.
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia before this evening’s hammering of Salernitana, CEO Marotta said that he saw “no difference” between Inter and PSG. Aside from the wages, he’s really not wrong. Looking at their performances both last season and in this term, I know who looks likely to go further in the Champions League.
That is not a short-term view either, because Paris Saint-Germain have shown time and again that no matter who is in the squad or calling the shots on the bench, they do not have what it takes to go all the way in Europe.
Above all, nobody better than Lautaro Martinez can be aware that even Lionel Messi managed to get jeered by the PSG supporters. He knows full well this crowd will never have his back if he goes through a dry spell, which we’ve seen him do many times over the years, both for Argentina and at club level.
Some will point to the financial situation at Inter, but if the reports about that loan deal are true, then Suning have covered themselves in such a way that the club will not simply be stripped for parts. We already saw with Milan that getting taken over by a trust fund after a loan payment defaulted actually helped them rebuild.
The Nerazzurri will have to sell players to balance the books, but they needn’t be Lautaro Martinez or even Nicolò Barella. Marotta proved in recent years he is a smart operator, and indeed has already lined up Piotr Zielinski and Medhi Taremi as free agents for next season.
Why would Lautaro Martinez even want to join Paris Saint-Germain? There might be some clubs that can be a tempting prospect, such as Barcelona, Real Madrid or Manchester City, but he knows that the Inter supporters adore him and that he can achieve success here with Simone Inzaghi.