Racing president: "Lautaro Martinez turned down Real Madrid when he was 18"

After a very good second season at Inter with a tally of 16 goals before football stopped due to the Coronavirus emergency, Lautaro Martinez has drawn the interest of Barcelona. However, it is not the first time that the 22-year-old striker is in the radar of a Spanish club, as Racing Club - Lautaro's former club - president Victor Blanco revealed in an interview with Mundo Deportivo: "Real Madrid made an enquiry about him when he was 18. The offered a loan with a significant option to buy clause. However, Lautaro turned down their offer because he wanted to continue his development process. He was adamant about his future goals".

"Real very very determined about signing him and continue his development in their youth squad - Blanco explained - The sum they offered was significant, but Lautaro knew what he wanted. I have lots of respect for him. He immediately settled in and his improvement was exponential"