According to a recent report by Sport, Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martínez fancies a high-profile switch to Barcelona and is willing to take less money to make the transfer happen this summer. The same source has also revealed that both Chelsea and Manchester City are also interested in securing the Argentine’s signature. However, the Catalan outfit seems to hold all the cards at the moment, but they need to make a convincing bid if they want Inter to part ways with their prized asset at the end of this campaign (via Sport).
Martinez’s Outstanding Season At The San Siro
The 22-year-old has enjoyed a brilliant season at Milan after forming a fruitful attacking partnership with Romelu Lukaku up top. He has put in some memorable displays for Antonio Conte’s side this term. Still, his incredible contributions have not been enough for Inter to keep pace with Juventus and Lazio in the Serie A title race.
Martinez has registered 16 goals and four assists in 31 matches for the Milan giants this season on all fronts. He has proved his worth as a prolific goal-getter, which explains why so many top clubs are hoping to land him this summer. The Argentine prospect has averaged 3.9 shots, 0.9 key passes and 1.3 dribbles in every 90 minutes of league football this season. However, those numbers have gone up slightly in the UEFA Champions League where he has averaged 4.2 shots, 1.2 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per game in the six European matches he has been a part of so far (stats via whoscored).
The former Racing Club striker has also earned 17 senior caps for the Argentine national team and has nine international goals to show for his efforts. He is expected to play a crucial role for his nation in the next edition of the Copa America, which is scheduled to take place at the end of next season.
What Will The South American Sensation Bring To The Nou Camp?
Martinez can use his quickness to complete some dangerous dribbles with the ball in the final third. He excels at winning aerial duels as he can often overpower the opposition using his upper-body strength. The Argentine youngster also packs a lot of power with his shot attempts and has transformed himself into an unforgiving finisher in front of the opposition goal. However, he needs to improve his link-up play with others around him as he can sometimes give away the ball cheaply as evidenced by his pass success rate of 59.5% in the Italian first division this season (stats via whoscored).
Why The Catalan Giants Need To Get This Deal Done This Summer
Quique Setien is in dire need to recruit a new centre-forward this summer so that he can replace the ageing Luis Suarez up top. Ousmane Dembele has been far too injury-prone while Antoine Griezmann has also struggled to find consistency when being asked to operate as a striker down the middle. The emergency arrival of Martin Braithwaite has also not helped Barca’s cause. Therefore, Setien can benefit from acquiring a forward of Martinez’s calibre and potential this summer.
The Argentine will not only add a lot of quality to the Barca frontline but will also be a long-term solution to their goal-scoring problems. Hence, the La Liga giants have to find a way to orchestrate a deal to bring Martinez to the Nou Camp when the transfer window reopens later this year.
