In This Photo: Lautaro Martinez
Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale looks on during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Cagliari at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on September 29, 2018 in Milan, Italy.
(Sept. 28, 2018 – Source: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Europe)
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barça will sign Lautaro Martinez, only if, Luis Suárez leaves the Camp Nou this summer. The Uruguayan turns 34 next year and the club wants to invest in a young striker with Martinez as the first choice.
Luis Suárez, who made his debut for the Blaugranas on 25th October 2014, against Club León, has had an extraordinary career at Barça. The Barça number 9 scored 19 goals and provided 12 assists in 34 games in all competition this season. Whereas the Inter striker scored the same number of goals and assisted only 6 in 45 games (11 more than Suárez). It’s clear that the Uruguayan has had a better season than his South American counterpart.
But the question still remains; can the ruthless “El Pistolero” continue to perform at the same level for the next few years?
The 33-year-old has had an offer from MLS team Inter Miami, who’s owner, David Beckham, wants the striker to join his team for the coming season. The player has a contract until 2021 with the Catalonian club, which will automatically renew, should the Uruguayan play over 60 percent of their games next season. Furthermore, the club knows, if he stays, it won’t be possible to have him on the bench.
So where does this leaves Martinez?
Due to the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, FC Barcelona suffered a major hit to the financial sectors of the club, which has made it difficult to bring Martinez to Camp Nou. The club knows that they will have to spend around 100 million Euros for the Argentine player, which makes the operation difficult this year.
Per the same report, the 22-year-old has had an agreement with Barça to wait a year in Milan, if needed. The Inter striker wants to be in the starting line up at Camp Nou and wishes not to sit on the bench. Bartomeu cannot afford another millionaire signing unless the club manages to generate revenue by selling players this transfer window.
