'If they don’t kick me out, I’m staying!' - Lautaro Martinez expresses desire to retire at Inter as Barcelona transfer hopes quashed

Lautaro has dealt a significant blow to his external admirers by declaring his intention to remain with Inter for the remainder of his playing career. The 28-year-old forward has evolved into an indispensable figure and talisman for the Nerazzurri since arriving from Racing Club in 2018, accumulating over 350 appearances. Despite recent administrative enquiries regarding his availability, the Argentina World Cup winner reaffirmed his deep connection to the Italian giants. He also gave a surprising insight into his detached plans for life after hanging up his boots.

Speaking in an extensive interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Inter skipper addressed the possibility of spending the rest of his career in Milan and opened up about his post-football life.

Lautaro said: "No doubt I would like to retire at this club. It’s hard for me to imagine myself anywhere else these days. You never know in football but if they don’t kick me out, I’m staying here. I will not stay in football [after retirement], it’s not an atmosphere I like. I will disappear and they won’t know of me."

The striker’s definitive stance effectively ends renewed interest from newly-crowned La Liga champions Barcelona, who, according to ElDesmarque, had initiated fresh contacts with his camp. Hansi Flick's side viewed Lautaro as a marquee alternative to Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez, having previously seen a lucrative €12 million-per-season deal for the Argentine collapse due to financial constraints in June 2020. However, prizing the captain away from San Siro was always highly improbable, given he signed a bumper five-year extension in August 2024 to become the highest-paid player in Serie A.

Fresh from netting in the 2-0 Coppa Italia final victory over Lazio, Lautaro is expected to feature in Inter’s season finale away at Bologna on Saturday, May 23. The talismanic captain has contributed 17 goals and six assists in 29 Serie A appearances during this successful Scudetto-winning campaign and remains under contract until June 2029. Consequently, the Nerazzurri hierarchy will take immense confidence from his public loyalty as they prepare to rebuff any speculative summer bids from European rivals.

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