Manchester United have reportedly reignited their interest in Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez. It was previously reported that Barcelona were very close to agreeing terms with the 22-year-old Argentinian ahead of a summer move, however, reports from Spanish news source, Sport suggest that United are back in the running to sign the player.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been a big admirer of the Argentinian and has reportedly asked the club to tempt the player with a ‘multi-million pound contract’. The player has a £94 million release clause in his contract, which is a massive amount to spend on a player but considering the money spend recently, would be well spent.
It was suggested that Barcelona were hoping to get a deal sorted by offering Nelson Semedo and Carles Alena to Inter Milan in a player plus cash offer but the coronavirus pandemic might change that for the foreseeable future. It is stated that along with United, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain remain interested in the player.
During the current season, despite it currently being suspended due to the coronavirus, Martinez has made a total of 31 appearances for Inter, playing in the Serie A, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, and the Coppa Italia, scoring 16 goals with a further four assists, playing a total of 2,437 minutes of football.
United will need another striker this summer, having lost Romelu Lukaku, who signed for Inter Milan last summer, also Alexis Sanchez, who was loaned to the Italian club. Solskjaer managed to sign Odion Ighalo on a six-month loan spell during the January transfer window but reports suggest that he may not stay at United much longer.
United will have Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, and Mason Greenwood at the club going into next season, but it was not enough for this campaign so will not be enough for next. There are many strikers linked to the Old Trafford club this summer, so Solskjaer will have a plan to ensure he goes into the new season with reinforcements.
The 22-year-old started his career in youth football playing for Liniers de Bahía Blanca, but left the club Racing Club de Avellaneda back in 2014, the club that gave him his first team debut. Martinez played a total of 59 times for Racing Club, scoring 27 goals and six assists in around four seasons at the club.
In July 2018, Martinez moves to Europe after Inter Milan signed him on a five year contract with a €22.7 million fee. To date, he has played a total of 66 times for Inter, scoring 25 goals with a further five assists. It may be relatively early in the players career but he clearly knows how to put the ball into the back of the net, something that United require.
United might have their work cut out for them if they were to land Martinez this summer, which may seem unlikely at this moment in time. However, United will sign a striker, they need to. Currently, the club has been linked with Moussa Dembele, a player that have been linked to in the past. More will be linked as time goes on though.
