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Arsenal to battle for Inter Milan striker, Lautaro Martinez

By on February 23, 2024

Lautaro Martinez

According to Fichajes, Arsenal are keen on signing Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez but face stiff competition from Chelsea.

The Gunners’ need to sign a top striker is widely known. A game like the Champions League round of 16 defeat to FC Porto, in which they had no shots on target, plainly underscored their need for a clinical hitman. After the winter break, the Gunners thought they had rediscovered their goal-scoring mojo, but a 1-0 loss to Porto served as a wake-up call.

Several strikers have been linked with a move to Arsenal, including the likes of Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen. However, Fichajes reports that the Gunners have identified Martinez as a prime target.

The report says Arsenal are ‘willing’ to invest in purchasing the South American this summer but face competition from Premier League rivals, Chelsea.

If you’ve peaked in the Chelsea gossip columns, you’d also know they’re looking for a top striker. They continue to be linked with Europe’s finest goal-scorers as Mauricio Pochettino looks to solve his problems up front.

Martinez’s transfer battle

According to Fichajes, Arsenal and Chelsea are interested in Martinez, but will Inter Milan be willing to let their hitman leave?

In recent years, the 26-year-old has established himself as one of the best attackers in Europe. This season, he’s on top of his game, with 23 goals and 5 assists in 40 games. Arsenal would undoubtedly be recruiting a talented striker who will significantly improve their squad if they managed to lure him to North London.

Some argue that you need physicality to play in the Premier League, which is exactly what the World Cup winner embodies. According to WhoScored, he is a great finisher, can hit long shots, is superb at holding on to the ball, can create opportunities for teammates with his excellent passing (playing the key pass), and contributes significantly to defense.

Martinez has been dominating the Italian League in recent years. Clubs have been unable to persuade him to join them. Arsenal attempted to sign him in 2021 but were unsuccessful, with Football Italia saying at the time that the player was not interested in moving to Arsenal.

In 2022, Arsenal attempted to sign him again but were unsuccessful; instead, they signed Gabriel Jesus. Two years later, Arsenal will return for Martinez, and ideally he will consider becoming a Gunner this time around. However, even if he prefers a move to Arsenal, his contract expires in the summer of 2026, and Inter may only sell him at a premium.

Transfermarkt values him at about £94 million (€110 million). Would Arsenal’s need for a quality striker drive them to spend that much? And, with Chelsea also interested, might this spark a major bidding war?

We will have to wait and see, but one thing is certain: Martinez is a player to watch in the summer market and he’d be a terrific signing for Arsenal.