Why Lautaro Martinez is a great fit for Barcelona

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The Inter Milan forward has been linked with a move to the Camp Nou

Lautaro Martinez is enjoying a great run of form with Inter Milan and has built up a good partnership with Romelu Lukaku up front as the Nerazzurri continue their revival under Antonio Conte.

Barcelona are struggling again as their form has dipped with a loss against Levante and a draw against Slavia Prague. Not only the defence but also the attack, which is world class on paper, are finding it difficult to perform.

Luis Suarez is again on the receiving end of criticism and Antoine Griezmann hasn’t produced his best football yet. With all that in mind, Lautaro Martinez is the latest attacking player to be linked with Barcelona. Yet his services will definitely not come cheap and a fee of €111 million has been rumoured.

Here’s a look at why Martinez is a great fit in Barcelona, should they choose to buy him:

Physicality on the field

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Like Sergio Aguero, he may not be particularly tall but that doesn’t stop Martinez from fighting for the ball. His physicality to fend off defenders with the ball at his feet is noteworthy. His low centre of gravity makes him agile and quick - he can make runs ripping the central defence apart and players have a hard time marking him. This could be seen in Inter’s away match against Barcelona, where he demonstrated all of these qualities and scored in under three minutes.

Poacher’s instinct

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Martinez has everything to be a great striker for his club as well as country. He has well and truly replaced Mauro Icardi at Inter, and Conte’s side have not missed their former captain. Like Icardi, who is a great example of a poacher, Martinez too has an eye for goal and not only is his finishing ability noteworthy but also his ability to find Lukaku. Inter under Conte have switched from 4-2-3-1 to 3-5-2 but that hasn’t stopped them from winning matches and Martinez, from scoring.

Determination and work rate

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He may not be a cut-out Barcelona player, but one of the great qualities possessed by the young Argentinian is his determination on the field. His work rate is excellent, and his ability to take on defenders fearlessly can usher in dominance in the opponent’s half.

While Martinez has been continuously linked, we should not forget we have three of the best attackers on the planet. Where we should be investing on building a more robust defence, we are looking to fill in places where there is an abundance of talent.

It’s true that Luis Suarez is nearing his twilight years at the top level, but criticizing him endlessly and looking for an immediate replacement is not the way a huge club and their fans treat an absolute legend of the game and anyway, under the current manager, there is no guarantee that Martinez will play in his preferred position. With all that being said, he should not be considered an immediate replacement for Suarez, but one for the long-term success of the club, should Barca choose to invest.

Source: barcablaugranes.com