Inter: why the extension of Lautaro Martínez is long overdue

While Inter has been a hit on Italian and European pitches for two years, behind the scenes of the Lombard club is still very fragile. The Coppa-Supercoppa double with the Champions League final last season and the new Scudetto won this year were not enough to calm the fire which was spreading in the internal offices. As a result of this big administrative and legal mess, a change of ownership was made official last week. Steven Zhang’s Sunning company was unable to repay the loan taken out from the American fund Oaktree. Thus, the former Hong Kong president and owner had to cede full powers of the club. The Nerazzurri will therefore experience a rather unusual summer period, at a time when several issues continue to drag on, including the contract extension of Lautaro Martínez, although his lease expires in June 2026.

“We look forward to working closely with the current management team to continue building on the momentum of the historic second star. It is for this reason that we strive to ensure operational and financial stability, which will contribute to the club’s lasting success on and off the pitch., wrote the Oaktree investment fund in an open letter to internalist supporters. Operational stability is guaranteed by maintaining sports management with Beppe Marotta and Piero Ausilio, while financial stability is incompatible with the current economic demands of Lautaro Martínez. Indeed, the Argentine striker has been waiting to reach an agreement with Inter on an extension for several months now. But things are dragging on and the Milanese management is getting impatient…

An agent that takes up a lot of space!

Voted Serie A’s best player and top scorer, it’s understandable to see Martinez aiming to become Italy’s highest-paid footballer, but the question comes down to the numbers required. The change of ownership from Steven Zhang to Oaktree does not change the problem that has been on the table for several months: Inter cannot offer him 10 million euros net per year. Also because in this case, he would then have to face predictable demands for salary adjustments from his teammates. The player’s agent continues to push internally to increase the Nerazzurri’s proposal: “The figures for renewal? I don’t think fans need to know that. I only talk about this subject with Inter of course. We are talking about 12 or 14 million but, I repeat, these are questions that concern Lautaro and the club. I have not spoken to any other team about his future and I have no intention of doing so, I am only speaking with Inter for a possible renewal, even though Lautaro still has two years left on his contract with the Nerazzurri»said Alejandro Camano, 26-year-old Toro representative.

The agent’s request is considered by the club to be far too high, while the club’s proposal represents the maximum possible. There is a big gap between supply and demand. Now Inter want to understand what the player thinks. The ball is in Martinez’s court who will have to choose between his agent and his management. He is called to take a stand not by words but by actions. Lautaro Martínez must choose his main objective: to become an Inter icon like Javier Zanetti without asking for the impossible or to earn even more money and move to another European big name. All choices would be legitimate but the Milanese management is asking for more clarity quickly. The market for attackers has already started and there will surely be no time to waste in looking for a replacement equal to the Argentinian’s production (27 goals in 44 games). If this file continues to drag on, Inter would be ready to test the market for the Argentina international. With a growing value, the club’s accounts could receive a second wind in the event of the sale of its star.