Arsenal register interest in Inter's Lautaro Martinez
By Tom Gott
Arsenal are keen to take their ambitious summer transfer window to the next level with a shock move for Inter forward Lautaro Martinez.
The Gunners have already struck deals to sign Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga, and they are also on track to land Brighton centre-back Ben White for a cool £50m.
Mikel Arteta also has plans to add a new goalkeeper and a second midfielder, but according to The Telegraph, his focus is now on signing a new striker and an enquiry has been made about Martinez.
The 23-year-old, seen by many as one of the best young forwards on the planet, racked up 19 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season as Inter finally ended Juventus' reign of dominance in Serie A.
Most of Europe's top sides have expressed an interest in Martinez in the past, and Arsenal have now joined the fun, although the response from Inter has been less than encouraging.
The Nerazzurri are not interested in losing Martinez, and having sold Achraf Hakimi to Paris Saint-Germain, have no urgent need to cash in on a valuable asset like the Argentine.
Factor in the idea that Martinez is probably not particularly keen to swap Inter for a team who finished eighth in the Premier League last season, and you'll see why the chances of this deal going any further are incredibly slim, although club director Edu remains determined to make a big splash this summer.
Arsenal are on a mission to return to relevancy next season and those in charge have accepted the need for a massive squad overhaul, and ambitious targets like Martinez are a real indication of just how seriously the Gunners are taking their quest.
Their chances of signing Martinez likely hinge on his contract situation. He has two years left on his current deal and was reluctant to sign an extension not too long ago, although Martinez's agent recently confirmed that fresh talks were underway.
Should Martinez reject the chance to stay, he could hit the market and there would be no shortage of interest. Sources have confirmed to 90min that Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have all asked to be kept informed of his situation, while Real Madrid and Barcelona both remain interested.