Lautaro Martinez Emerging As One Of The Best Young Strikers
Gregory Caltabanis
4 Yrs Ago
Lautaro Martínez has scored goals everywhere he has been. Tthe player known as ‘El Toro’ has had no issues finding the back of the net, and that scoring touch has clubs ready to make him one of the summer’s biggest transfer targets.
Martinez has been one of the breakout players of the season in Serie A, partnering with summer arrival Romelu Lukaku to form one of the league’s best tandems. They have combined for 37 strikes in all competitions, helping Inter Milan fans forget Mauro Icardi, who left Inter for Paris Saint Germain last summer. The chemistry between Martínez and the Belgian is evident as they interchange positions regularly and play to each other’s strengths.
Martinez used his first season in Italy to acclimate himself to his new surroundings, scoring six goals in 13 starts under Luciano Spalletti. When Antonio Conte was first appointed as Inter’s manager, many expected Martínez to take the next step in his career. In many ways, Conte and the young striker are a match made in heaven.
The Italian tactician is typically very demanding of his front two but, the Argentine has always proven to be a willing runner throughout his career. Martinez initially earned his ‘El Toro’ nickname for his relentlessness and has recently demonstrated a fiery side to him. This season alone the Inter striker has been booked six times, including a red card against Cagliari.
But Martínez enjoys playing with an edge to his game. At times, it is what separates him from his marker. The very best strikers find that balance.
The 22-year-old has shown he’s willing to battle in the 18-yard box despite his relatively smaller frame and has since established himself as a two-footed threat.
Martínez has regularly proven no stage is too big for him, scoring a hat-trick against Cruzeiro on his Copa Libertadores debut. Just last year, the 22-year-old fired Argentina into the Copa América quarterfinals with a goal against Qatar.
In their next game, Martínez back-heeled home in style linking up wonderfully with Sergio Agüero inside 10 minutes and helped Argentina overcome Venezuela. The former Racing striker was later awarded the man-of-the-match award.
The Inter man wasted no time announcing himself to the rest of the world this season and scored against Barcelona in his second ever Champions League start.
Inter inevitably bowed out in the group stages, but El Toro’s play at the highest level was encouraging. Martínez took the competition by storm, finishing the group stages with five goals in six appearance and has since attracted interest from Europe’s elite.
Chief among those interested is Barcelona, according to persistent reports that have linked the Spanish champions to Martinez, which makes sense considering Barca’s need for a long-term solution at striker. Martinez’s experience play with Lionel Messi as Argentina teammates is likely to play a part in that interest, with Messi a safe bet to have recommended the young striker.
While it remains to be seen just where Martinez will go next, what has already been made clear, with every team that he has played for, is that Martinez will score goals, and that should make ‘El Toro’ one of the hottest commodities in soccer this summer.