Lautaro confident of reaching agreement for Inter renewal

Lautaro Martinez is confident of thrashing out a new contract with Inter.

The Argentina international forward’s present commitment does not expire until the summer of 2023, meaning there is no rush to find an agreement, but the club are keen to tie him to fresh terms in a bid to stave off any prospect of an exit.

“I am happy at Inter, Milan is a great city,” he told Sportweek. “My agent and the club are talking and I am calm. I only want to give everything for Inter, then we’ll reach an agreement.”

Lautaro has been linked with a move away from Inter, but he tries to keep the transfer speculation at arm's length.

“Talking about you and important clubs is a beautiful thing, but also a heavy one,” he said. “You go out to eat and they talk about you, go to the bathroom and they talk about you. You have to be strong in your head. It was a tiring summer.

“I'm at Inter today and I'm happy. I'm fine here.”

The 23-year-old is in his third season at Inter and is relishing working under manager Antonio Conte, who he claims is taking his game to new heights.

“He is a coach who works to improve you physically and tactically,” Lautaro said. “His arrival at Inter was fundamental for me, he made me grow a lot. And I don't want to stop.”

Lautaro plays alongside the great Lionel Messi for Argentina. The Barcelona man was linked with a move to Inter last summer, only to remain at Camp Nou, and the youngster has admitted he was excited by the prospect of his fellow countryman arriving in Serie A.

“It was a big dream for me,” Lautaro said. “It’s amazing to play with him, he is the best player in the world and I am lucky enough to play with him in the national team. He is an inspiration for young players.”

While Lautaro has contract talks to keep him occupied and dreamt of Messi’s arrival, his focus is on the Scudetto and Inter face Serie A champions Juventus on Sunday.

Inter are in the title mix, three points behind leaders and city rivals AC Milan, and Lautaro feels the current campaign is full of excitement after years of Bianconeri dominance.

"After so many years of Juve domination, this year the championship is more balanced,” he said. “Covid-19, the five substitutions, have changed things. It's more fun, less obvious.”