Manchester City have officially joined Manchester United and Barcelona in the race for Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez.
Lautaro Martinez has been taking over the transfer headlines in recent months as a result of his stellar form with Inter Milan this season. Manchester United and Barcelona have expressed their interest in securing the services of the Argentine striker for quite some time now, but according to a new report from Goal, Manchester City have also joined the race.
The 22-year-old striker has formed a lethal partnership with Romelu Lukaku at Inter Milan. The duo’s ability to score goals on a regular basis is a major reason why Antonio Conte‘s side are constantly trading places with Juventus for the top spot in the Serie A.
So far this season, Martinez has eight goals and one assist to his name through 16 games in the Serie A. In addition to his good run of form in Italy, Martinez has been showcasing his clinical finishing ability in the Champions League by scoring five goals in six games. It is quite obvious why some of Europe’s elite clubs are interested in signing Martinez, but of the three clubs currently in pursuit of his signature, Manchester City is the best fit.
Manchester City over Manchester United and Barcelona
Martinez has the talent and football acumen to have an immediate and meaningful impact at Manchester United and Barcelona, but there are a few reasons why going to the defending Premier League champions makes the most sense.
More from Manchester City
- Manchester City and their enigmatic coach stand on the cusp of greatness
- Three challenges Manchester City might face in upcoming season
- 3 potential destinations for Raheem Sterling next season
- Manchester City officially announce Erling Haaland signing
- Gabriel Jesus set for Manchester City departure
Firstly, every top player who strives to advance their career needs to go to the most competitive league in the world and learn from one of the best managers in all of football. Pep Guardiola has won three La Liga titles with Barcelona, three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich and back-to-back Premier League titles with Manchester City. Furthermore, Guardiola has also raised the Champions League trophy on two occasions.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ernesto Valverde, on the other hand, are far from Guardiola’s level and they have to worry about their job security. Both managers have been in the hot seat at Manchester United and Barcelona, and that is not a situation that Martinez would want to walk into.
Secondly, Manchester City are at the phase where they are seeking a long-term replacement for Sergio Aguero. The Argentine striker is now 31 and this is the perfect time to bring a young striker with plenty of potential, such as Martinez, to the club. Many talented strikers have a difficult time adapting to English football, but having his fellow countryman on the squad to serve as a mentor would be a major plus for Martinez.
It is also worth mentioning that Martinez would start over Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian striker has been inconsistent and this is another reason why Manchester City are interested in signing Martinez. With Raheem Sterling up top, Martinez and Sterling could become a formidable duo that take the Premier League by storm.
At the moment, Manchester City, Manchester United and Barcelona have only expressed interest in signing the Argentine striker. Inter Milan hope they can hold on to their star player and are working hard to get his signature on an extended contract. We shall see what happens over the next couple of weeks, but if Martinez does leave Inter Milan he would be wise to choose Manchester City.