Lautaro Martinez (Getty Images)
Former Manchester United star Owen Hargreaves has urged Manchester City to sign Inter Milan youngster Lautaro Martinez this summer, according to Daily Mail.
The Argentine has been in sensational form this season but City could face competition as Barcelona, who are long-term admirers of Martinez, are also keen on signing him, as per the report. He is valued at £98m by his club.
Born in Argentina, Martinez started his journey with his hometown club, Liniers de Bahia Blanca before joining Racing Club’s youth system. In his final season with Racing Club, Martinez excelled with 18 goals in 27 games and earned a move to Inter in the summer of 2018.
Though he struggled in his first season at San Siro, the youngster has been in sensational form this season, scoring 21 goals in 48 games across all competitions, with the latest two coming in the Europa League semifinals against Shakhtar Donetsk.
He is one of the best young talents across Europe and has attracted a lot of attention. Thus, Manchester City should attempt to bring him to England at the earliest.
Pep Guardiola’s side failed to defend the league title as they fell 18 points short of league champions, Liverpool. They were also dumped out of the Champions League by underdogs Lyon last week. However, they managed to score 102 goals in the league this season.
But City need to reinforce their attack if they are to continue with the fine goal-scoring streak. At the moment, Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero are the two main strikers in the squad. However, the Argentine talisman has just one more year left on his contract and is already 32, reaching the twilight of his career.
Moreover, he has spent the majority of the 2019/20 campaign on the sidelines due to injuries and it shows that he is moving away from his best form. And his departure could leave a huge void in their attacking unit. Thus, they need to bring in a centre-forward with an eye for the future.
In that regard, making a move for Martinez would be an ideal solution. The Argentine has proved his worth at a young age and is considered to be one of the best forwards in Europe. He has already shown immense talent and should only get better with experience.
He could be seen as a future replacement for his compatriot, who is nearing the end of his prolific career. Martinez could bring healthy competition for Jesus and could go on to represent them in the long run.
With Aguero considering a move to his native country, as per the report, City need to reinforce their attack with a promising youngster. And Martinez could be the solution for them in the future. He has the ability to lead their attack and by developing under the guidance of Guardiola, the 22-year-old could establish himself as a lethal striker in the future.
