After a summer of transfer speculation to Barcelona, Inter forward Lautaro Martinez has revealed the one characteristic which puts Blaugrana captain Lionel Messi about every other footballer.
The pair could have linked up at the Camp Nou this season, but Inter were resolute in their asking price for the Argentine youngster, with Barcelona unable to afford the 100 million euro fee. Nevertheless, the pair have had playing time on the pitch together with Argentina.
"I know Leo more from the times we've been teammates for the Argentine national team rather than from having come up against him," Lautaro told UEFA.com
"I've said it in the past, and will say it again now and in the future: he's the best player in the world.
"The fact he's Argentinian is a source of pride for us and we always try to learn from him.
"For me, he's on another level, he understands the game in a different way and he's always a step ahead of everyone else."
Inter have a tradition of great Argentine players, with Diego Milito key for the Nerazzurri as they won the 2010 Champions League to complete a historic treble, as was Javier Zanetti, who is now vice-president at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
"Javier is a very important Inter man," Lautaro said, "and for us [players] as well because he passes down to us everything he's experienced at this club," added Lautaro, who was unable to prevent Inter from slipping to a 2-1 derby defeat against AC Milan in their latest outing.
"He did so to me when I first came to Italy. Whenever I've needed something, he's always tried to help me. He always lends an ear and asks how I'm doing or gives me a hand with anything I might need. He's always there to make sure I'm alright inside the club and outside too.
"Above all, he helped me with the language when I arrived, with what the club meant and how we train. He was very important in those matters, so I'll always be grateful to him. He really helped me out when I got here."
Inter face Borussia Monchengladbach in their Champions League Group B opener on Wednesday evening.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com