Barcelona have reportedly rekindled their pursuit of Lautaro Martinez, who is being viewed as an alternative for Erling Haaland.
According to reputed journalist Gerard Romero, Barcelona are scouring the market for alternatives for Erling Haaland ahead of the summer transfer window. As a result, the Catalan heavyweights have once again set their sights on Argentine international Lautaro Martinez.
Martinez has come leaps and bounds since joining Inter Milan from Racing Club in the summer of 2018. Now into his third full season with the Nerazzurri, the 23-year-old striker has forged a formidable strike partnership with Romelu Lukaku at San Siro.
The ongoing season is proving to be a memorable one for Martinez and Inter, who are closing in on reclaiming the Serie A title. The Argentine international has played his part in the campaign as well, with a solid return of 14 goals and 8 assists in 27 outings in the league. This has put him firmly on the radar of Barcelona once again.
Barcelona are keen on bolstering their attack in the summer transfer window, with a striker being their priority after choosing not to replenish Luis Suarez’s place in the squad. With the team lacking the presence of a natural striker, considering Martin Braithwaite is only a rotation option, the keenness to sign one makes a great deal of sense as well.
As per widespread reports, it appears as if Erling Haaland is the priority for Barcelona as far as the central striker’s berth is concerned. However, any pursuit of the young Norwegian prodigy will prove to be extremely complicated due to the stiff competition for his services in addition to Barcelona’s financial health.
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Indeed, Haaland is tipped to join Real Madrid soon, meaning the other suitors in his pursuit, including Barcelona, need to keep their options open. To that end, the Blaugrana have renewed their interest in the 23-year-old striker, who could be more approachable this season.
Last summer, his €111 million release clause proved to be a major hindrance. However, with Inter Milan struggling on the financial grounds, there is a sense that Martinez could be signed for a lower sum this season. That is something that will be an interesting development to follow and it remains to be seen if Barcelona do end up signing Martinez after reigniting their pursuit of the Argenitne.
