Lautaro Martinez’s Long Term Inter Milan Future In Doubt As Argentine Reacts Angrily To Atletico Madrid Substitution
Lautaro Martinez was subbed out with 18 minutes left of Inter Milan's Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid.
Ben Horlock
Updated on 27 November 2025
The long-term future of Lautaro Martinez is in doubt after the Inter Milan star was subbed off against Atletico Madrid.
Martinez was visibly upset after seeing his game cut short in the 2-1 Champions League loss to the Spaniard’s. It was the second fixture in a row that El Toro was withdrawn early.
The Argentine superstar is widely regarded as one of the best forwards in the world and fans will be concerned with Cristian Chivu’s treatment of the 28-year-old.
Lautaro Martinez Subbed Off Against Atletico Madrid
With the game finely poised at 1-1, the decision to sub Lautaro Martinez after 72 minutes was not well received in the eventual 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid.
Martinez shaked his head as he trudged towards the touchline. Once seated, the Inter captain threw a water bottle in frustration. When he was brought off against AC Milan, no such reaction occurred.
As the Nerazzurri captain, Martinez clearly believed he should not have been withdrawn. Especially as his presence could have helped the Italians earn something from the match.
Granted, Martinez has been drafted out on 11 occasions this term. However, the vast majority of those have been when Inter holds a commanding lead or is in the final minutes of a game.
Lautaro Martinez Will Consider His Inter Milan Future
It may appear dramatic, but Lautaro Martinez will likely be wondering about his next career move. He and head coach Cristian Chivu seem to be on rocky ground.
In fact, Chivu’s own future is up for debate after back-to-back defeats. Diego Simeone has expressed his desire to one day manage Inter Milan.
After the Atletico Madrid boss handed Chivu a tactical masterclass, that may happen sooner rather than later. The Argentine head coach knows Martinez very well, too.
A San Siro reunion would provide the perfect remedy from Martinez’s perspective. However, Chivu will be given time to get back on track but there’s no telling if his relationship with El Toro is fractured beyond repair.
Who Could Sign Lautaro Martinez?
Naturally, there would be a host of Europe’s finest who would explore the possibility of signing Lautaro Martinez if he became available.
Among them includes English Premier League giants Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. LaLiga powerhouses Barcelona and Real Madrid would also consider Martinez.
The same can be said about current Champions League winners PSG. The French side have been long term admirers of the 28-year-old Inter Milan star.
Ben Horlock
Ben has a long standing devotion to Italian soccer and in particular, Serie A. Ben grew up watching legendary presenter James Richardson deliver the latest news and views with the daily papers and breakfast in hand. Not only does Ben follow Italy's top soccer division, he is an avid follower of all the major European leagues. Ben is an expert on all things Serie A and has produced a number of features and news articles for FootItalia as well as UK-based outlets such as HITC, 90min, GiveMeSport and Betfair. In the US, Ben has been published on ESPN and Sports Illustrated.
Our unbiased editorial policy
Despite ongoing collaborations with commercial affiliates, the details, information, and reviews we provide remain honest and unbiased. We keep this in check by implementing a stringent editorial policy.
Our policy implements strict editorial standards, ensuring the integrity and trustworthiness of our articles, news, and reviews. Only the highest-quality content reaches our pages. We achieve this through conducting thorough research on each topic, conveyed to you using unbiased reporting, to ensure we earn your trust and keep it.
