Racing Club president Victor Blanco has claimed that Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez rejected the chance to join Real Madrid as a youngster.
Martinez made the switch from Argentine side Racing to Italian giants Inter in 2018 and has been a huge success at San Siro.
The 22-year-old has scored 16 times this season, form which has seen him linked with the likes of Manchester City, Barcelona and Madrid.
According to Blanco, though, Martinez has already turned down the opportunity to sign for Los Blancos once before.
"They came looking for him from Real Madrid and offered a loan with a significant purchase option," he told Mundo Deportivo.
"However, he rejected that possibility because he wanted to succeed in Racing before going outside. And he stayed. It did not cloud. He was very clear about his goals."
Argentina international Martinez is rumoured to have a release clause of just under £100m in his Inter contract.
Daniel Lewis
