Tottenham Hotspur are ready to break the bank to land Lautaro Martinez but the player prefers to stay put at the San Siro.
According to La Gazzetta Dello Sport, via HITC, Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to pay a club-record £75 million to land Inter Milan hitman Lautaro Martinez this summer.
The Argentine international is one of the best young strikers in the Serie A and played a key role in the Nerazzurri’s Scudetto triumph last season. Martinez formed an excellent strike-partnership alongside Romelu Lukaku, who has since returned to Chelsea.
Losing Martinez in the same window would be catastrophic for a side that has also parted with manager Antonio Conte and star flanker Achraf Hakimi. While Inter fans are right to fear that a championship-winning side is being disassembled with impunity, it does little to boost Spurs’ chances of landing their man.
This is because, as things stand, Martinez has no intention of leaving the San Siro. The player’s agent Alejandro Camacho has already confirmed that he is happy in Italy keen to stay put at Inter.
Tottenham, however, are yet to admit defeat and look set to make another offer for the player. The North Londoners had earlier failed with a £60 million offer for Martinez and are now ready to raise the bid. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side put up a stellar show when they defeated champions Manchester City. The 1-0 margin could have been higher had they been more clinical. The lack of a dependable striker on the field was visible.
The Londoners lack a capable finisher in the absence of star striker Harry Kane. Adding Martinez to the ranks would offset several contingencies, including the English skipper potentially moving to Manchester City. A deal for the Argentine is, however, easier said than done.
While Martinez is keen to stay at Inter, the Italians new contract offer worth £75,000-a-week has left the player’s representatives unimpressed. It pales significantly to the £275,000-a-week that Tottenham’s arch-rivals Arsenal are prepared to offer.
Spanish champions Atletico Madrid are also in the fray and will offer the player a better chance at success than the London-based sides. While Tottenham certainly have potential, moving to the lane would be risky for a player who has yet to hit his prime.
Spurs have made it a habit of shooting themselves in the foot in recent seasons, and Martinez could have better options on the table. As things stand, he is the ace striker at Inter and is likely to stay put. Whether Tottenham are willing to do what it takes to land their man remains to be seen. With or without Kane, the club could certainly do with another reliable goalscorer.
