Getty Lautaro Martinez has been warned off a move to Barcelona
Lautaro Martinez has been warned he would be better off staying at Inter Milan this summer than moving to La Liga and joining Barcelona because he will only be a substitute at the Camp Nou.
Former Juventus and AC Milan boss Fabio Capello has been full of praise for the Argentina international but thinks he will have his work cut out forcing his way into the Barcelona starting XI with Luis Suarez still around.
Capello told Cadena SER’s El Larguero: “Getting to Barça and starting with Luis Suárez is difficult, it would be better for him to start at Inter. I think it is better to be a starter at Inter than a substitute at Barça.”
Martinez has enjoyed a strong season with the Nerazzurri in 2019-20. He’s netted 16 times for Inter in all competitions which has attracted the attention of the Catalan giants.
Barcelona Stars Back Lautaro Move
Barcelona players and manager Quique Setien have already made it clear they would be happy to see Martinez swap the San Siro for the Camp Nou this summer.
Argentina team-mate Lionel Messi told Sport the 22-year-old is a “really complete forward” and praise his ability to dribble and hold up play as well as provide goals for his team.
Meanwhile, Suarez has said he would welcome competition from Martinez at Barcelona. The 33-year-old Uruguay international is heading towards retirement and has described the Inter man as “spectacular” in an interview with Mundo Deportivo.
Setien has also hinted he’d be happy to coach the Argentinian. He told Gazzetto dello Sport: “He is an important player, a great player, and Barcelona are always interested in great players.”
Lautaro to Become Barca’s Latest Big-Name Signing?
Speculation Barca will splash out heavily to land Martinez has increased throughout the season, and the Catalan giants are closing in on the 22-year-old, according to Ole.
There will be plenty of expectation heaped on Martinez should he finally seal the deal, and Barca will be hoping he can be more successful than some of their recent big-name buys that have struggled to make a big impact at the Camp Nou.
Barca splashed out $160 million to land Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool in January 2018, but the Brazilian has spent the current season on loan at Bayern Munich after failing to impress at Barca.
Ousmane Dembele has also had a tough time since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund in 2017. The French forward has been plagued by injuries and is currently sidelined after undergoing surgery on a torn hamstring in February.
Antoine Griezmann has been the club’s most recent big-money summer signing. The World Cup winner moved from Atletico Madrid in summer 2019 after Barca met his $135 million buy-out clause. Griezmann has been a regular but has only netted eight goals in 26 La Liga appearances in 2019-20.
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