Manchester City have dealt a blow in their pursuit of Inter striker Lautaro Martinez, according to reports.
Martinez had been earmarked as a potential replacement for Sergio Aguero, who could depart the Etihad Stadium this summer.
Aguero is out of contract on June 30 and has yet to hold talks with the club over a new deal.
The Argentina international is City’s all-time leading scorer with 256 goals in all competitions.
However, he has endured a frustrating season so far, with injury and illness restricting him to just five Premier League appearances.
City are said to be looking at potential long-term successors to Aguero, with Danny Ings and Romelu Lukaku having been spoken of as possible targets.
Martinez is another player who has been linked with City in recent months, but Pep Guardiola’s side might now struggle to sign him.
That is because, according to Eurosport, Martinez looks set to put pen to paper on a contract extension at Inter.
The Nerazzurri have long wanted to secure Martinez’s future, with the Argentine having excelled since moving to San Siro from Racing Club in 2017.
Martinez has scored 10 goals in 21 Serie A appearances this season, as Antonio Conte’s side compete for the title.
And with the club willing to double Martinez’s salary, the 23-year-old is poised to commit his future to Inter.
The report states that City could now turn their attention to Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.
Dortmund had been expected to keep hold of Haaland until the summer of 2022, when a £68m release clause in his contract will become active.
However, Dortmund could be forced to cash in on the Norwegian earlier than planned if they failed to qualify for the Champions League this season.
BVB are currently sixth in the Bundesliga table, four points adrift of the top four.
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