Messi was never close to join Inter - Zanetti

vice-president Javier Zanetti has claimed that

was never close to joining Inter and he claimed that a bright future is waiting for Lautaro Martinez at the 2022 World Cup.

Following the seriousness of the issue of Lionel Messi's separation from

, many rumors were heard about him joining Inter and his presence at the San Siro. Some sources believed that Inter has a high chance of transferring Messi and that the Argentine star is also interested in joining the club. Zanetti, however, denied the allegations, claiming that Messi had never been close to joining Inter.

He said:

“No, never. The truth is that we have never been close to signing him.

“After the pandemic, the club was in a complicated situation from an economic point of view. Furthermore, no one thought that Leo could really leave Barcelona, it was a surprise for everyone.

“I’m happy for him, I met him recently in Paris and hugged him. He wanted this moment more than anyone else and he deserved it.”

Asked about Martinez, Zanetti replied:

“I remember very well when we signed him. When you buy a young man, you don’t have to focus on the present, on how he is at that moment, but have a vision of how he will be in the next three, four or five years.

“Guess how he could grow. We are very happy with Lautaro, his maturation process is very good, after some ups and downs and a period of adaptation, he has found his balance.

“We are happy for his present and his future with us, he will be an important name at the next World Cup, a protagonist.”

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