Why Pep Guardiola needs Lautaro Martinez at Manchester City
By Varun Aithal
Manchester City lacks end product in the striker department
It was evident in the quarterfinals against Lyon that City felt Aguero’s absence. Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling were at fault multiple times for missing sitters or tap-ins.
The 85th minute Sterling’s miss cost them a chance to equalize against the French outfit. If that was Lautaro, he would have put it away with ease. He can fit into Pep Guardiola’s striker department seamlessly.
Compared to Jesus’ 3 shots per game, Martinez has registered 3.6 shots per game. Apart from that, Lautaro Martinez is one of the players fouled the most in Serie A, which implies that the striker can be dangerous when he is on the ball.
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The Argentine gets better in converting shots from outside the box. He has converted 23.08% of his shots whereas Sterling has converted just 20% of his.
He has contributed defensively too. For the Serie A outfit, he has 115 tackles throughout the season, more than that of Sterling’s 65. Martinez is frequently involved in the build-up play. He has been one of the players who initiates counter-attacks for his side.
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Though he might not be a predator like that of Sergio Aguero at the moment, with the age on his side, Martinez can become one of the potential star strikers in the English top flight. Can Pep Guardiola convince his board to wrap up the deal for Argentine forward?