Inter Milan superstar Lautaro Martinez turns down lucrative Saudi approach

Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez could set a precedent and become the first European megastar to reject a mega-money bid from Saudi Arabia this summer.

An unnamed Saudi Pro League club offered the 2022 World Cup winner a mind-blowing four-year contract offer worth €60 million on Friday to sever ties with the Nerazzurri.

However, Martinez has knocked back that monstrous proposal without blinking to pledge his allegiance to the Giuseppe Meazza outfit, reports Gazzetta dello Sport.

Per the same source, the unnamed club to have made an audacious attempt to lure the 25-year-old away from Serie A is Al-Hilal, a side on a rampaging buying spree this summer.

The Riyadh-based heavyweights have captured the services of two former Serie A stars in the shape of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Kalidou Koulibaly from Lazio and Chelsea, respectively.

On top of that, they have signed Ruben Neves in his prime from Wolverhampton Wanderers, which must have bolstered their confidence about landing another household name.

But Martinez has stayed immune to a lucrative bid, refusing to follow in the footsteps of his former Inter teammate Marcelo Brozovic, who has joined Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.

Since arriving from Racing Club in 2018, the Argentine forward has been one of the most prolific forwards in Italy’s top flight, establishing himself as an influential figure at Meazza.

Keen to fend off prying eyes from the Saudi Pro League, Inter have named an astronomic €150m price tag for their headline performer to make sure he doesn’t leave without a fight.

Beppe Marotta won’t have to feel the temptation of dealing with Al-Hilal’s determined effort to land Martinez in all likelihood, as the player doesn’t fancy a move to the Gulf state.

Over the past few years, Martinez has been the main source of goals for Inter, becoming a fundamental part of Simone Inzaghi’s set-up, hence the Nerazzurri’s reluctance to sanction his departure.

Last season, he tallied 28 goals in all competitions, not to mention his first-half double catapulted Inter to Coppa Italia glory in a dramatic 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in May.