Lautaro Martínez has been subject to a lot of speculation this summer as the Inter Milan forward has been tipped to join Barcelona in the off-season. However, the inordinate delay of the Catalan giants in making a move has now given rise to speculations that others like Real Madrid are monitoring the situation.
Now former Los Blancos man Wesley Sneijder has stated in an interview that the Argentine star should ply his trade for Real Madrid ahead of Barca. While talking to Sportsmail (as cited by Daily Mail), the former star said, “I recommend Real Madrid to him. A player who is physically strong and mentally strong. I can only tell him to try to play for Real Madrid but only after many years at Inter.”
Do Real Madrid need him?
The Madrid side have been trying for Kylian Mbappé for a long time now, but so far it seems that PSG would not be ready to let go of their superstar and even Zidane has somewhat accepted the fact. Therefore, the French gaffer needs a centre forward, and at this moment there are hardly any better options than the 22-year-old.
This season Martínez has scored 16 goals across all competitions for the Serie A side, and time and again he has proved that scoring comes naturally to him. Real Madrid, on the other hand, need to compensate for the goals that had come from Ronaldo for the better part of the last decade, thus craving the need for a new attacker.
What would he add at Real Madrid?
Under Antonio Conte, the Argentina international has made a name for himself as one of the most intelligent footballers in the world. Although a centre-forward, Martínez can find the gaps in the opposition defence to perfection, exploiting the same at the slightest opportunity. His relatively short frame means that he possesses a low centre of gravity, enabling him to take a sharp turn with the ball at his feet and beat his marker.
His dribbling skills are also decent with Martínez raking 1.3 dribbles per match in Italy, which permits him to thrive well in 1v1 situations. The former Racing Club man is never associated with creativity or running the show at the centre of the pitch. Still, he is more famed for putting constant pressure on the defence of the opposition with his low and hard shots, amassing 3.9 shots per game this term in the Serie A. One other facet of Martínez that is worth mentioning is his industrious nature as he can burst his lungs out throughout the entire span of the game and press the opponents really well.
His role at the Spanish club
For a long time, Karim Benzema had been relegated to a supporting act to assist Ronaldo in his pursuit of the Ballon d’Or. After the departure of the Portuguese superstar, the French forward has regained some sort of dominance as now he has been under the compulsion to lead the attack.
With Martínez in the side, Benzema could again be asked to make the sacrifice and aid the Argentine in his responsibility to marshal the forward line. Moreover, with an unimpressive passing average of 59.5% successful passes in the Italian top tier, the manager would have no occasion to ask the Inter man to distribute the ball to the 32-year-old in the final third. With Hazard in the flanks and Martínez and Benzema as the two-man strike force, it could be exciting times for the supporters of the club if the deal is completed.
Stats from Whoscored.
