Inter Milan striker, Lautaro Martinez has said he doesn’t know what the future holds for him at the San Siro club.
The Argentine, who insisted that he is happy at Inter said he doesn’t know ‘what will happen tomorrow.
He also explained why he repeatedly punched the bench when the coach, Antonio Conte replace him in the second half of Genoa-Inter on Saturday, saying he always want to do his best for the San Siro giant.
“I work every day to improve. Today I am an Inter player and I want to do the best of the team.
“I’m happy, we work every day, we want to win and to bring Inter as high as possible. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, today I can say that I am at Inter and that I’m happy,” the striker stated in a pre-match press conference on the eve of the Nerazzurri’s Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk.
It could be recalled that the 23-year-old was linked with a move to Barcelona in the summer. But both parties could reach an agreement, leading to speculation of a possible contract extension.
Expressing his gratitude to Inter fans, Martinez said he didn’t play up to expectation against Genoa, making him to hit the bench after being subbed off.
“I thank the fans for all their affection, the same goes for all the people who work for the club and who have always been close to me.”
“I was angry with myself because I didn’t play the game I wanted, it came out of me but today I am happy and ready for tomorrow.”
Conte expects Martinez and Lukaku’s improvement at Inter
In a related development, Conte wnats Martinez and his striker partner, Romelu Lukaku to up their game.
The Italian tactician believes the duo can improve, adding that Inter is now regaining European relevance.
“I think Inter are slowly regaining an important European status. The beautiful journey of the last season [in Europa League] gave us more experience. We must continue to talk about mentality, the desire to play the game and to defend forward. I think it is the right way.”
Since the duo are sure starters in his line up, the former Chelsea boss believes that they can be more important for the team.
“I’m sure Romelu and Lautaro still have room for improvement. They can become even more important for the team but it’s vital to win something before making comparisons with other players.”
Meanwhile, the Ukrainians will be seeking revenge against Nerazurri after losing their last encounter 5-0 two months ago in Europa League.
💥 A #UCL matchday!
— Inter (@Inter_en) October 27, 2020
⚽ #ShakhtarInter
🏆 @ChampionsLeague
⏰ 18:55 CET
🏟️ Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex#FORZAINTER ⚫️🔵 pic.twitter.com/nBL3DGYRw9
Conte said Inter were close to perfection during the game, adding that the team can’t be compared to what he has now.
“I think we can’t make comparisons because it was a game in which we were perfect. We were close to perfection in both phases and it will be important to repeat a very careful game from all points of view.
“Shakhtar are a strong team, with many Brazilians who are good tactically, technically and who are very quick.
“I never want to see passivity in the two phases. I want a team ready to attack the ball and create those situations that we’ve been working on during training,” he added.
Shakhtar surprisingly defeated 13-time Champions Real Madrid 2-3 in the opening game of their Champions League group stage last week. This is expected to give them the confidence to face Conte’s men.
“You don’t score three goals against Real Madrid without important values. We hope to make a good game and put on the pitch what we have prepared.
“We’ve watched their games and Shakhtar have surely watched ours’. They are a strong team, a reality of European football.
“Praise to them because they can always find very strong players [on the market]. I remember when I faced them in the Champions League with Juventus, they had very strong players that nobody knew: Willian, [Darijo] Srna, [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan and Fernandinho. Today they still have valuable players.”
Inter will be playing without Alexis Sanchez and Stefano Sensi for the match.
