ARSENAL reportedly made a play for Lautaro Martinez after realising they wouldn’t be able to land Julian Alvarez.
The Gunners were hopeful of convincing the wantaway Atletico Madrid ace to join them this summer in a blockbuster transfer.
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But the former Manchester City striker ended up staying in the Spanish capital, where he faces an uncertain future.
And it’s claimed that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, who was also linked with a swoop for Galatasaray‘s Victor Osimhen, explored the possibility of bringing Martinez to the Emirates after it became clear Alvarez would be going nowhere.
That’s according to The Daily Mail, who claim Gunners assistant coach Gabriel Heinze reached out to his fellow Argentine to gauge his interest in coming to the Premier League.
The north Londoners’ reported aspirations of a late swoop for Martinez are said to have been emphatically shot down by Italian champions Inter Milan.
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Arsenal would’ve been hard-pressed to convince the striker, who broke England fans’ hearts in the World Cup semi-final, to jump ship as he’d previously snubbed a potential move to Barcelona.
In May, he said of his future: “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.”
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When pressed on Barca’s pursuit of his services, Martinez told Sky Italia: “The rumours were true.
“But in the end, I wanted to stay here with my teammates, with these people, with these fans who have always been magnificent to me.
‘It’s definitely a great pleasure, a great honour, and a huge satisfaction because you’re always working to improve, to move forward, to become better.
“When these offers or calls from these huge clubs arrive, they’re always welcome. It’s a very important thing.
“Now I’m in a city that has supported me incredibly since day one.
“I have a restaurant, my kids go to school. I’ll always be here because I feel good, because I’m happy.
Arsenal will be back in action on Sunday afternoon, welcoming big-spending Chelsea to the Emirates.
Martinez and his Inter team-mates, meanwhile, will face Napoli at the San Siro on Saturday evening.