According to a recent report by Spanish news outlet Sport, Premier League high-flyers Chelsea are said to be interested in Inter Milan’s Argentine striker Lautaro Martinez, with Barcelona and Manchester City also involved in the battle for his signature. The report suggests that the Blaugrana were confident of their chances of landing the striker, as they believed he would decide to move to the Camp Nou based solely on sporting reasons.
The Catalan side are said to be aware of the fact that both Chelsea and Manchester City have made ‘big offers’ to Inter Milan for the player’s services. The report claims that the Premier League duo would be willing to offer the prodigious striker up to €10m per year and that they could even cough up his rather ludicrous release clause. Despite all this, the final decision is in the hands of the player himself, and Barcelona are said to be confident that they have the transfer right on track.
What Is Chelsea’s Current Striking Situation?
The Blues have three recognised strikers in their ranks for Frank Lampard to choose from, and it’s quite apparent from the season so far that young Tammy Abraham was first-choice. Although the Englishman started the campaign in sensational form as the rest of the team, the goals just seemed to dry up at one point. Although they still managed to salvage some fixtures thanks to goals from other areas of the pitch, an unfortunate back injury picked up by the forward worsened the manager’s dilemma.
Despite having Michy Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud in their ranks, there was an apparent lack of quality up-front that the Blues had to deal with. While Giroud did well in the role towards the latter weeks of the campaign, Batshuayi’s exploits leading the Chelsea line were abysmal.
The Belgian international has been at Chelsea for a long time now but is yet even to show any signs of developing into a top striker. Moving him on would surely be the best option while replacing him with someone like Martinez would be the stuff of dreams for Blues fans around the world.
Why Lampard Must Beat Barcelona To Martinez’s Signature?
The 22-year-old is undoubtedly one of the most prolific young strikers in the European football scene, and it’s no surprise that some of the biggest teams in the continent are after his signature. Adept at making runs in between the lines and leaving defenders for dead using his blistering pace, the striker has picked up an impressive record of 12 goals and three assists from 22 Serie A fixtures this season. Moreover, the fact remains that he’s still quite young, and has acres of room for development.
Chelsea’s struggles in front of goal have been no secret this season, and even with the presence of the talismanic Tammy Abraham, the Blues have had to labour to make up the numbers. Adding a player of Martinez’s quality to the mix would not only take this team to the next level but would also help bring the best out of the Englishman. If they’re able to get this deal through the door, the London club will boast one of the best attack-lines in the whole of Europe, and that’s the kind of thing that Frank Lampard should essentially be aspiring for this summer.
