According to reports from Italy, Manchester United intends to fight Barcelona and Tottenham for the signing of Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez.
Calcio Mercato suggests that, since the Argentine will soon turn 26, he will strive to make a big step in the summer.
Martinez is said to like Barcelona but is more open to a move to the Premier League, opening the door for the Red Devils and Spurs to battle for his signature.
The report suggests that the Inter striker may have an “important sponsor” in the person of Lisandro Martinez, and the two players are linked by international responsibilities.
Both won the World Cup in Qatar two months ago and can be set for further success together at Old Trafford.
With United in desperate need of a central striker, Lautaro could well be an interesting option for Eric ten Haga.
The striker relentlessly presses, and his energy can be well combined with the dynamic style that the Dutchman prefers.
Counterpressing has been an important part of United’s game plan at various times this season, and a central striker capable of leading the press can play an invaluable role when Ten Hag forms his team.
Lautaro is also an excellent dribbler with a good track record in front of goal during his time in Italy. Given that United also do not have a clinical finisher, this may also benefit the team.
However, Calcio Mercato estimates the price of the Argentine star at about 100 million euros, which may represent a rather risky bet.
Martinez lacks some important qualities that Ten Hag usually looked for in his central strikers. Firstly, he is very similar to a “face-to-face” striker who often relies on the likes of Edin Dzeko to do the “back to goal” work that is usually required of a central striker in today’s game.
In fact, Lautaro rarely played as a lone striker, and his attempts to do so for Argentina at the World Cup led to some unconventional performances, because of which Lionel Scaloni preferred Julian Alvarez from Manchester City up front.
This should cause alarm for a team that wants to sign Inter Milan for a one-striker system like Manchester United.
At 5 feet 9 inches tall and winning just 1.27 aerial duels per game, which puts him only in the 36th percentile among forwards in the Big Five Leagues (fbref), the backline is under pressure.
The very fact that the 6-foot-6-inch Wout Weghorst was involved as a temporary break during this transfer window suggests that Ten Hag would prefer some skills in the air.
Thus, although Lautaro Martinez has certain qualities that could help Manchester United in the position of a central striker, his lack of others certainly makes a bet of 100 million euros unlikely.
