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Manchester United are currently in a rich vein of form ahead of a crunch Europa League second-leg contest against Barcelona before embarking on a trip to Wembley for the Carabao Cup final.
Erik ten Hag‘s journey as the new United boss has been full of difficulties as he had to takeover a broken squad filled with gaping holes and full of under-performing stars.
While the transfer window did help remedy a couple of problem positions, the mid-season acrimonious departure of Cristiano Ronaldo left a gaping hole to fill.
Striker search
Marcus Rashford has more than made up for the Portuguese but the injury woes of Anthony Martial and the lack of goals from on-loan striker Wout Weghorst means an elite striker is likely to be targeted by the club next summer.
The likes of Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane, Serie A top-scorer Victor Osimhen and Juventus frontman Dusan Vlahovic have been constantly linked with a move to Old Trafford.
*Martinez Transfer Rumours*
🔴🔴🔴Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will be looking to sign Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez, as journalist Pete O’Rourke said via GiveMeSport. The Argentine could help the club rebuilding process#MUFC #ManUtd #ManUnited #ManchesterUnited pic.twitter.com/1mfgqKX6Rz— MUMU Football (@MUMUfootball) February 22, 2023
Another name that has joined the fray recently is that of Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez. The Argentine is no stranger to links to a move to Old Trafford but traction is increasing due to the Nerazzurri’s precarious financial condition.
They need to sell and raise significant capital first before thinking of strengthening and the likes of Martinez could potentially fetch the highest sum which makes him one of the assets likely to be offloaded.
Inter have been linked with a move for Borussia Moenchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram and that would in turn open up the possibility of the World Cup-winning striker to depart.
As per previous reports, Martinez could be on the market for around £70 million and United could have to battle it out with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal for the Argentina international.
Inter could offload Martinez
With the South American star still having two and a half years left to run on his contract, it’s unlikely that his valuation will take a hit any time soon.
According to a report in GiveMeSport, the 25-year-old could be the perfect solution for Ten Hag due to his skill-set.
“He’s a top player, a world-class striker, and I think that’s what Man Utd will be looking for this summer; a regular goalscorer who can help aid Erik ten Hag’s rebuilding process at Old Trafford,” the report mentioned.
The stats tend to back up that argument. The Inter striker has registered 16 goals and seven assists in 32 appearances across all competitions so far this season.
“As per FBref, Martinez has ranked in the 98th percentile for total shots, 95th for interceptions, 92nd for blocks, 90th for non-penalty expected goals, and 87th for touches in the attacking penalty area amongst his positional peers over the last year,” the GMS article added.