Chelsea are reportedly looking to hijack Manchester United's move for Inter Milan and Argentine forward Lautaro Martinez this summer.
Is Martinez having a good season?
The £184,000-a-week attacker has again proved to be a key figure for Inter this season, helping them reach the Champions League semi-finals. In Europe, he has scored twice and registered three assists, and he has also been impressive in Serie A, scoring 19 goals in just 25 starts before Inter's match against Roma this afternoon.
Martinez has enjoyed great success on the international stage, too, winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentine last year, albeit not scoring in six appearances and missing a glorious opportunity with a header late on in the final win over France.
The 25-year-old has been linked with a move away from Inter at the end of the season, even though his current deal doesn't expire until 2026 and he would, therefore, cost a lot of money. Chelsea have been mentioned as potential suitors for him in the past and now a fresh update has emerged.
Could Chelsea snap up Martinez this summer?
According to football.london, Mauricio Pochettino wants to sign Martinez when he eventually becomes Blues manager, with the 51-year-old thought to have "given Chelsea the green light to hijack Manchester United's move". In the past, he has called his compatriot "one of the best strikers in the world", proving that he is a big admirer of him.
Martinez could be a fantastic signing if Chelsea snap him up this summer, possessing the trademark technical ability and tenacity of so many great Argentine attackers in the Premier League down the years, from Sergio Aguero to Carlos Teves. The west Londoners are desperately in need of a ruthless striker to come in and lead the line, and he could be the ideal man to fill that void.
He has 21 goals in 48 caps for Argentina, which is an excellent return, while a tally of 97 strikes in 229 outings for Inter is further proof of his elite quality. The fact that Pochettino is clearly a fan makes the signing even more of a no-brainer, and it is absolutely essential that Chelsea's incoming manager is allowed to buy the player he thinks most suits his style this summer.
Martinez looks perfect, in that respect, not only having the natural ability to be a match-winner, but also the team ethic that is now so lacking in someone like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, for example.
