Lautaro MartÃnez would be interested in moving to Manchester United according to reports.
The Argentine has been linked with the Red Devils following the club’s dearth of options at the forward position.
And last week it was suggested that United had “requested first-hand information” about the player, with whom they have “an open channel.”
Now it looks like those channels are paying off, with Dean Jones suggesting a transfer to a Premier League club would attract the Inter Milan striker.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones said: “I know for a fact that he would love to play in England.”
Lautaro certainly has the profile of a player who would enjoy the physicality of the Premier League, with his energetic style and fierce enthusiasm key features of his game.
It could even be said that the Inter attacker has the ‘grinta’ that Erik ten Hag attributed to MartÃnez currently on United’s books, Lisandro.
Fast and fearless, the Argentine striker scored 21 Serie A goals last season and could bring some pizzazz to the front row at Old Trafford.
Jones, however, is not convinced:
“I just don’t think Lautaro Martinez fits what they’re looking for in terms of centre-forward.”
In some respects, it is possible to see why Lautaro could fall short in a couple of areas.
Lautaro doesn’t provide much of an aerial threat and doesn’t work particularly well with his back to goal, preferring to run into space, a quality that already exists in abundance in the United side.
If Ten Hag is looking for a striker who is comfortable with his back to goal, there are probably better options out there.
However, the Dutchman has worked with a wide variety of strikers throughout his career, and with many in the ‘pros’ column regarding Lautaro, he could well feature prominently in United’s roster.
That’s probably twice as true given Cristiano Ronaldo’s current situation. A conclusion to that particular saga would allow Man United to seek a replacement as soon as January.
Inter Milan are unlikely to be sold cheaply, with the striker valued at £67.5m according to Transfermarkt.com.
