Chivu confident Lautaro Martinez will stay at Inter despite Barcelona interest

Cristian Chivu says he expects captain Lautaro Martinez to remain at Inter Milan for the long term, despite growing reports linking the Argentina forward with a move to Barcelona.

Barcelona’s interest is understood to have intensified after their efforts to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico de Madrid became more complicated. Reports in Spain, Argentina and Italy have increasingly connected Martinez with a move to the Catalan club.

However, Chivu insists Inter are committed to keeping their captain.

“There are always stories and news at this time of year,” said the Inter manager. “We are happy to talk about our players, because it means they are considered among the best in the world.”

“Lautaro is our captain, he won the World Cup in 2022 and he was in the final a few weeks ago. He is a great player and we are holding on to him strongly because he represents what we have been and what we want to be in the future.”

Asked whether he had guarantees that Barcelona would not be able to tempt Martinez away, Chivu replied: “I am not afraid of anything. Lauti is the captain and there may be a lot of talk about him, but I think he will stay for a long time because he is a player we want to build the future with.”

He added: “I also know that the transfer market can be a little difficult, so the only answer I can give is that I want him to stay.”

Inter begin their new Serie A campaign at home to Monza at San Siro on Saturday, with the match available via stc.

Chivu accepts Inter will face considerable pressure after establishing themselves among the leading teams in Italy, but said the club must approach the new season as if starting again.

“We start from zero, knowing that we are the team to beat,” he said at his pre-match news conference. “Nobody will give us anything for free, so we will try to be competitive and chase our ambitions until the end.”

The Romanian added: “In recent years, this team has proved that it can maintain its level, so we need to keep that level and add more as well. With determination, hunger and humility, and with the room for improvement that we have, I think we can do a great job.”

When asked which teams Inter feared in Italy or Europe, Chivu gave a direct response.

“None,” he said. “We all start from zero and we cannot be satisfied with what we have achieved. We must find new motivation to continue improving. I do not think much has changed in one year.”

He continued: “We were not finished at that time and we are not guaranteed to dominate now. Every season has periods of ups and downs, and what matters is how you react.”

Inter have made several changes to their squad during the summer transfer window. Denzel Dumfries has left the club, while Djed Spence was brought in from Tottenham Hotspur after several other deals failed to materialise.

The club have also added players from the Premier League, including John Stones and Curtis Jones.

“Our duty is to improve and continue preparing for the future,” said Chivu. “I will not deny that I spoke to Jones before he arrived, and I am happy to have him with us because he has some of the qualities we needed.”

“The same applies to Spence and Stones. They understand very well the importance of this club and the levels the team has reached in recent years. I am sure we will be able to raise the level even further with these new additions.”

Chivu also rejected direct comparisons between Spence and Dumfries.

“It is not right to compare Spence with Dumfries, but we chose him because of his specific qualities,” he said. “He also has room to develop and he is joining a team that wants to dominate again.”