Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly agreed a fee for the signing of Lautaro Martinez but Chelsea and Lukaku could play spoilsport.
According to The Times, Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a club-record fee with Inter Milan for Argentine international striker Lautaro Martinez in the ongoing summer transfer window.
The 23-year-old is one of the finest young strikers in Europe and has developed well at San Siro. While he did not enjoy the best of seasons last time around, Martinez still played a key role in the Nerazzurri’s Serie A triumph. That title-winning side is now being dismantled, and Martinez could be the latest domino to fall.
Inter value the player at £76.8 million. While it is unknown whether Tottenham’s bid will reach the price, it is upwards of £60 million and includes various add-ons. Contrary to belief, Martinez is bring brought in to play alongside Harry Kane and not replace him. The North Londoners remain adamant that their star striker is not for sale amidst interest from Manchester City.
Martinez formed an excellent partnership alongside Romelu Lukaku and can do the same with Kane at the north London outfit. Add to it the likes of Son Heung-Min, Dele Alli and Lucas Moura, among others, and Nuno Espirito Santo has a forward line to strike fear in the opposition hearts.
However, the deal is yet to be made official, and there appear to be some roadblocks that could yet derail it. According to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, Inter are keen to keep Martinez and have no intention of selling him. He did, however, confirm that talks have taken place between both clubs.
There is no smoke without fire, and the very fact that the Italians are at the negotiating table could indicate that a deal is in the works. They need financial reinvestment and could be looking to twist Tottenham’s hand into paying top dollar for the player. Who blinks first, if at all remains to be seen.
Having already parted ways with Achraf Hakimi and agreed to sell Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea, Inter have every reason to be wary of selling Martinez as well. Such a move would not sit well with the fans, and there could very well be the action that breaks the whale’s back. Losing one ace striker is bad enough, but losing both in the same window could spell catastrophe for the Italian champions.
Not that Spurs fans would be feeling any sympathy. Adding Martinez to the lineup will give them the much-needed boost needed to challenge for the top four again. More so, they would be getting a truly sensational player who could develop into one of the finest strikers in the world in the coming years.
The upcoming few weeks promise to be a heck of a ride, and it remains to be seen if the idea of a Martinez-Kane partnership holds water. On paper, it has the potential to become one of the best pairings in the league. Tottenham have already brought in three players, namely Cristian Romero, Pierluigi Gollini, and Bryan Gil. Adding Martinez to the list would cap off what could be a sensational summer for the Londoners.
