Lautaro Martínez 'No Longer Wants' Barcelona Move
By Tom Gott
Inter forward Lautaro Martínez is now having second thoughts about joining Barcelona this summer, having been unimpressed with the club's handling of Lionel Messi's transfer request.
Martínez has been heavily linked with a move to Camp Nou all year, with rumours from just a few months ago suggesting he had already made a verbal commitment to join Barça and had rebuffed Inter's advances to tie him down to a new contract.
However, that was before things began to fell apart. The 8-2 mauling at the hands of Bayern Munich has rocked Barcelona, with the biggest problem to deal with being Messi's desire to walk away from the club.
Messi's wish to leave has been ignored by Barcelona, who have refused to even speak with the Argentine about lowering his £624m release clause, and according to Corriere dello Sport (via the Daily Mail), Martínez is a little concerned by that.
With Barcelona currently going through so much turmoil, it's even suggested that Martínez could sign a new contract at San Siro, which would almost certainly end the La Liga side's hopes of signing him.
Barça boss Ronald Koeman is looking to trim his squad to make space for players like Martínez, with striker Luis Suárez and midfielder Arturo Vidal among the players to have been personally informed by Koeman that they have no future at the club.
Vidal in particular has not held back in his criticism of the club, complaining to Daniel Habif that Barcelona's recruitment over the last three years has left the squad unable to actually compete for major honours anymore.
"Barcelona first have to change their way of thinking because football has evolved a lot, their DNA is already lagging behind and other teams are improving in other aspects; football at the moment is more physical, with more strength and speed, and technique sometimes takes a back seat," he said.
“Barcelona has to change a lot of things. A team, which I think is the best in the world, cannot have 13 professional players and the rest are youngsters. Not because they do not deserve to be there, but they have to be competing with the best and who has to play.
“All teams have 23 players fighting for positions, growing and improving every day; But when they do not progress, when you think that with your DNA you can always win, you are very wrong.
“There are very good players, we have Messi who is number one and is an alien, but he needs help, he needs players who improve the team and give better results.”