Inter star Lautaro Martinez has admitted it was his ‘dream’ to play alongside Lionel Messi at Barcelona last summer. However, he is now committed to life at San Siro, and is even ready to sign a new contract at Milan.
The 23-year-old had openly admitted that playing for Barca was a long-standing ambition and that a move to Camp Nou could have materialized last season, had the club not been embroiled in unrest off the pitch .
Martinez was disappointed with the failed transfer to Barca and, during an interview with Sportweek, the Argentinian admitted it was his dream to take the pitch alongside the magical Messi.
“It was a big dream for me,” admitted Martinez. “It’s amazing to play with him (Messi), he’s the best player in the world and I have the chance to play with him in the national team. He is an inspiration for young players.
Despite his initial grief over not teaming up with Messi in Catalonia, Martinez decided to retire at Inter, saying he was ‘happy’ at the club and ‘calm’ about accepting another extension of contract.
He continued: “I am happy at Inter, Milan are a great city. My agent and the club are talking and I am calm. I just want to give my all for Inter, then we’ll come to an agreement.
And with the form he’s in and the team built around him, it’s easy to see why he’s happy at Milan. Martinez has forged an amazing partnership with his compatriot Romelu Lukaku, and he has had nothing but praise for the Belgian hitman, both as a player and as a man.
“I fell well with him, on and off the pitch. He’s a really nice guy, he speaks eight languages and that’s important in a team like ours, ”he added.
“He’s so humble too, his story is similar to mine. We come from nothing, we understand each other. ”
