Lautaro Martinez row proves why Calhanoglu ready to leave Inter | OneFootball

The very public spat between Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu feels like the most suitable ending to a dismal season for Inter, writes Susy Campanale.

Perhaps Cristian Chivu should thank Lautaro Martinez for managing to completely overshadow the Club World Cup elimination at the hands of Fluminense. The captain’s post-match statements aimed squarely at want-away teammate Calhanoglu distracted everyone from another awful performance, one that confirmed this squad is at the end of a very long road.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – JUNE 30: Stefan de Vrij #6 of FC Internazionale Milano reacts to a missed attempt on goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 match between FC Internazionale Milano and Fluminense FC at Bank of America Stadium on June 30, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Simone Inzaghi saw the writing on the wall long before the 5-0 Champions League Final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, just as Calhanoglu can see it is the ideal time to move on. It has been a strong four years for the Nerazzurri, winning the Scudetto, Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italia and reaching two Champions League Finals. You could argue Inzaghi should’ve had more than one Serie A title considering it was easily the strongest squad in the tournament over those four years, but progressing so far in Europe on that budget is not to be underestimated.

All good things must come to an end, and this Inter team has for months looked like it is running on empty. A long rest – which they won’t get anyway thanks to the Club World Cup participation, albeit brief – won’t be enough to refresh those batteries. This is an ageing squad that gave its all and is in dire need of a revamp to start anew.

Lautaro Martinez clinging to Inter past

MILAN, ITALY – DECEMBER 09: Hakan Calhanoglu of FC Internazionale celebrates with teammate Lautaro Martinez after scoring their team’s first goal during the Serie A TIM match between FC Internazionale and Udinese Calcio at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on December 09, 2023 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Not everyone can see that, though, as Lautaro Martinez is clinging to an idea they all go down with the ship. He is helping nobody with this open attack on Calhanoglu, least of all the club, and the insults are entirely unwarranted. It’s only natural that Calhanoglu wants to join Galatasaray, a club he grew up supporting, and has done nothing to publicly push for the transfer when he had more than enough opportunities to do so.

He crossed the divide from Milan to Inter for free, revitalised his career in a brand new role, and helped the team win several trophies. What more can they ask of him? It is time to move on and make Inter slightly less predictable in its dependency on the Turkish midfielder.

MILAN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 07: Hakan Calhanoglu (R) of FC Internazionale celebrates after scoring their team’s first goal with his team-mate Lautaro Martinez (L) during the Serie A match between AC Milan and FC Internazionale at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on November 07, 2021 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Lautaro Martinez thinks he is defending Inter’s honour by lashing out at a teammate, but he needs to realise that this is what modern football represents. The Argentine is now a true rarity in his steadfast commitment to the club colours, and he must not expect others to be similarly passionate when they haven’t been there as long as him.

Calhanoglu has every right to want a new experience and hope an agreement can be reached. He has gone about this in a much classier way than most would in his position. In his attempt to take a stand, Lautaro Martinez just made it all far more difficult to ensure it is an amicable parting.