Inter vice president Javier Zanetti admits the Nerazzurri could not afford Leo Messi and confirms ‘many clubs’ are interested in Lautaro Martinez.
Messi left Barcelona in the summer, joining PSG as a free agent.
“Nobody thought Messi could leave Barcelona in the summer,” Zanetti said in an interview with Libero as quoted by FCInternews.
“We were in the middle of the COVID pandemic and we could not afford such a huge investment because it would have put the future of the club in danger.”
Messi, 34, signed a contract until 2023 with the Ligue 1 giants with an option to extend his stay at the club for one more season.
The Nerazzurri are on top of the Serie A table and have recently extended with their stars Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolò Barella and Zanetti’s compatriot Lautaro Martinez.
Despite his contract extension, Zanetti admits that many clubs are still monitoring the Argentinean striker who has scored six goals in the last five Serie A games.
“It’s not easy to adapt to Serie A and Lautaro is now a point of reference for Inter and the national team,” Zanetti said.
“He is a great player and like every great player, many top clubs want to sign him.
“Lauti is very happy here, so I am not worried about his future, he feels important and he proves it in every game.”
Lautaro may not be the only Argentinean striker at the Pinetina as Inter are among the clubs interested in signing River Plate starlet Julian Alvarez.
Their director Dario Baccin flew to Argentina last month to scout the 21-year-old who has also attracted the interest of Milan, Juventus and Barcelona.
“There are many clubs interested in signing him and it’s normal because he is having a great season,” Zanetti said.
“It’s not easy to play for River and do what he is doing. However, Inter are complete in every department. Right now, there are only rumours.”