Manchester City want to sign Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez as a long-term replacement for Sergio Aguero, according to reports.
And their hopes of landing the Argentina international have received a boost after Martinez issued his current employers with a wage demand.
The 23-year-old has told Inter that they must hand him a pay rise to the tune of £100,000 per week if he is to sign an extension at San Siro, report the Sunday Mirror.
Inter are keen to tie Martinez down to a new deal as his current contract contains a £98m buyout clause.
The Nerazzurri want to increase the value of that clause in order to extract the highest transfer fee possible should Martinez move on.
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However, the Argentine has turned down the club’s first offer of £86,000 per week and is holding out for almost double that amount.
Martinez has reportedly told Inter that he will only sign a five-year extension if his wages are increased to £150,000 per week.
That would represent a significant pay rise for a player who currently receives £38,000 per week from the Italian giants.
The current stand-off has not escaped the attention of Manchester City, who are on the lookout for a new striker.
Aguero’s contract is set to expire next summer, and City are aware of the need to secure a long-term replacement even if their all-time record scorer stays put for one more year.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are also fans of Martinez, though, and the player hopes to use that interest to his advantage as negotiations with Inter continue.
Antonio Conte’s side beat Sassuolo 3-0 on Saturday to move up to second place in the Serie A standings.
However, Inter are on the brink of elimination from the Champions League following their midweek loss to Madrid.
Martinez will need to be convinced about the direction of travel before he puts pen to paper on an extension in Milan.
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