Lautaro Martinez is no Harry Kane, let’s get that clear. The 25-year-old found the net three times at the World Cup but failed to end the tournament with a goal with all of them chalked off.
It was a frustrating tournament for him to say the least. Lionel Messi may have branded Wout Weghorst ‘il burro’ in Qatar but it was Martinez who was initially goaded as the donkey who could not score.
He silenced those jeers at the end of the quarter-final against the Netherlands by firing in the decisive spot kick in the penalty shoot-out, and has continued to answer his critics for Inter Milan ever since.
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Martinez has fired in 17 of his 25 goals this season after Christmas, including in Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg win over rivals Milan. He’s a formidable figure but the jury is still out about whether he is truly world-class.
That is the barometer Erik ten Hag has set in his hunt for a new striker and midfielder this summer. Casemiro aside, last year was about plucking rising gems, but this time around the focus is on bringing in the finished product.
Kane is United’s top target with Victor Osimhen also making the list. Both are undeniably world-class and are consequently wanted by many top European outfits this summer. Goncalo Ramos also makes Ten Hag’s potential target list.
The 21-year-old has scored 26 goals for Benfica this season, not counting the hat-trick he got for Portugal against Switzerland in the World Cup quarter-finals in December. World class maybe not, but he is climbing towards that.
Meanwhile, Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund and Frankfurt star Randal Kolo Muani are also on United’s radar. The former has scored 14 goals this term, excluding the five he got in his last two Denmark appearances.
Muani has 22, having also netted in the World Cup semi-final against Morocco for France, albeit is more remembered for producing the shot that Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez saved in extra-time during the final.
Neither player is thought to be considered a true alternative to a main United striker signing but rather a future option. And as such, Ten Hag needs to line up better fall-back options should a pursuit for Kane and Osimhen falter.
United are reluctant to play the long-game with Daniel Levy over Kane amid the need to secure a signing. This will have to be played carefully as Osimhen could be snapped up by the time a chase grows cold.
Inter are keen on keeping Martinez, but are thought to not be beyond convincing with the club having to balance finances. Inter legend and now vice-president Javier Zanetti said of Martinez after the Milan win: “Lautaro is part of a great journey, he grows from year to year.
“He is a fundamental player, one we wish to keep, at least for now. Let's enjoy it, he's happy here, it's his home. I hope he can be [here] for a long time.”
So publicly, Inter will play the hard game which buys time for United if they get to the latter stages of the window having not secured a new No.9. This possible scenario is why United are keeping correspondence with a number of options.
Make no mistake, Martinez would not come cheap with three years left on his contract and he will probably never be among Ten Hag’s first picks. But as for an alternative option to Kane and Osimhen, he and Ramos would not be bad calls by a long stretch.
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