Why Pep Guardiola needs Lautaro Martinez at Manchester City

Varun Aithal

Inter Milan's forward Lautaro Martinez (Photo by LARS BARON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

After Inter Milan lost to Sevilla in the Europa League finals some players should be on the way out already.

The overhead kick by Diego Carlos was mistakenly turned in by Romelu Lukaku in the 78th minute, which made the scoreline 3-2 in favor of the La Liga outfit. Though Inter pressed the Sevilla defense, Julen Lopetuigi’s men were a tough nut to crack.

The loss has not only brought Conte under scrutiny but it has also brought the future of players like Skriniar and Lautaro Martinez under perusal. With the transfer window soaring high despite the pandemic, high profile transfers are expected to happen now more often than not.

When it comes to Premier League clubs, the two Manchester organizations are known for their big spending. As Pep Guardiola’s side failed to make it to the semifinals owing to their poor performances against Lyon, Manchester City are in the transfer market for a proper striker.

Sergio Aguero is not getting any younger

Sergio Aguero turned 32 on the 2nd of June and is not getting any younger. His 93rd-minute strike in the 2011-12 season spelled a cast of doom on Manchester United’s title pursuit.

He not only denied Red Devils the title but handed Manchester City their first-ever Premier League title. However, the talismanic striker is becoming older and has become injury-rattled.

Sergio Aguero has 254 goals in 370 games for City since his move from Atletico Madrid. No other player is near to him as he is one of the long-serving players for the club and has three Premier League titles to his name.

Manchester City suffered heavily in his absence and Pep Guardiola requires a proper replacement for the player although Sergio Aguero continues to play at the club.

No other striker is available in the market at the moment.

There was a time in a football when few clubs were spoilt with riches. Clubs like Manchester United had Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on the bench despite the club playing with two strikers upfront. However, the target men are now less available and clubs are going ahead with formations containing a front three.

City have the likes of Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus at their disposal, they have failed to pin down their starting positions. On the other hand, Man City have failed to prize away Harry Kane from North London. Even if they try to lure him to the Etihad, it would cost anywhere near €200 million for the England skipper.

There are strikers like Pierre Emerick Aubameyang available at the moment for a lower price. However, the Gabon international is also not getting younger and he would not be the heir to Sergio Aguero’s throne.

Very few clubs can afford Lautaro Martinez

The 23-year-old Argentine forward has a release clause of €111 million which recently expired in summer. His stats in Italy might have increased his price by at least €10 million, which would be a daunting task for the clubs across Europe to meet.

Barcelona are also linked with Martinez. At Camp Nou, the Catalans also face a similar dilemma or one can say, a dilemma of higher magnitude. Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi are aging and there is no proper players to replace them.

Happy birthday, Lautaro Martinez 🎈

One of the most underrated strikers in Europe? 🌟pic.twitter.com/EC6RF0mPsT
— GOAL (@goal) August 22, 2020

Though Coutinho can partially fill the boots of Lionel Messi, nobody is present for the Spanish outfit to replace Suarez. However, the previous big-money moves have failed badly at Camp Nou and Bartomeu may not go-ahead to sign the player.

Manchester City have time and again showed their financial muscle power. In four seasons, they have spent close to £350 million just to reinforce their defense. It would not be a difficult task for the side to sign the Inter Milan striker.

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.