Arsenal explored a surprise late approach for Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez during the final days of the summer transfer window, according to the Daily Mail.
The report states that Arsenal assistant manager Gabriel Heinze contacted the 29-year-old Argentina international early last week to sound out the possibility of a transfer.
Inter Milan were unwilling to entertain any deal for their captain, firmly shutting down the approach before it could develop into a formal offer.
Martinez still has three years remaining on his contract with the Serie A champions, leaving Inter in a strong negotiating position throughout the entire process.
The striker is valued at around £73 million, and Inter’s determination to keep him meant Arsenal had no realistic pathway to completing a deal.
The approach formed part of a broader effort by Arsenal to add attacking reinforcements, having struggled throughout the window to land their preferred forward targets.
The Gunners had previously pursued Chelsea-bound Morgan Rogers and explored moves for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior and Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, but none of those deals materialised.
Arsenal also considered Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, though they decided against making an offer, and he subsequently joined Liverpool for a reported £123 million.
Martinez himself reportedly never planned to leave Inter, having joined the club from Racing Club back in 2018 and building an extraordinary legacy in Milan over the years.
The Argentine striker has made 378 appearances for Inter, scoring 175 goals while winning three Serie A titles, three Coppa Italia trophies, and three Supercoppa Italiana titles.
Arsenal ultimately concluded their transfer activity by bringing in Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa among their major additions during the summer window.
Despite allowing a number of players to leave, the Gunners failed to sign anyone other than Christos Tzolis to strengthen their front three before the deadline passed.