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La Liga giants Barcelona have been given two solutions in their bid to sign Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez, according to reports from Spanish newspaper El Gol Digital.
Martinez has been a long-term target for Barcelona and has a release clause of €111 million in his Inter Milan contract. He is seen by the Catalan club as the ideal replacement for ageing striker Luis Suarez.
Hakimi transfer complicates matters for Barcelona
Real Madrid full-back Achraf Hakimi is set to complete a €40 million move to the Serie A giants.
Hakimi has spent his last two seasons on loan at Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund, where he has been impressive. The 21-year old can play in both full-back positions, as well as higher up the pitch.
The Moroccan's move to the Nerazzurri has reportedly complicated matters for Barcelona. The Camp Nou outfit had been prepared to send Portuguese right-back Nelson Semedo to Italy to reduce the price of Martinez. However, with Hakimi's transfer, Inter Milan no longer need a right-back.
Also Read: "I like to play, I like to feel important," says Barcelona star Vidal about a potential transfer
Now, Barcelona have two options, reports suggest. One of them is to send Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal to the Nerazzurri. Antonio Conte, the current Inter Milan manager, has managed Vidal during their time at Juventus.
The Italian is said to be a big fan of the 33-year old midfielder, admiring the combativeness and bite that he adds to the midfield area. The feeling is mutual, with Vidal admitting that he had always held Conte in high regard and would like to play for him again.
Vidal joined Barcelona from Bayern Munich in 2018 for a fee of €19 million. This season, he has been used as a squad player, making more appearances off the bench than starts in the league. Out of 27 appearances in the league, only 12 have been starts.
The Chilean has been highly productive for Barcelona during those appearances, though. He has scored seven goals and provided two assists. A move to Inter Milan would make sense, with the midfield options set to become more congested with the arrival of Miralem Pjanic from Juventus.
The other option, it is being claimed, is left-back Junior Firpo. Firpo joined Barcelona from Real Betis last summer for €18 million. The Spaniard has been used as a backup for veteran left-back Jordi Alba.
The 23-year old only has ten starts for Barcelona in the league, scoring one goal and providing one assist. Inter Milan have Cristian Biraghi, Ashley Young and Kwadwo Asamoah who can play at left-back, but it would be fair to assume that Conte would like a younger option.
Lautaro Martinez is seen as the best candidate to replace Luis Suarez at Barcelona. The decline of the Uruguayan has been visible for the last two seasons now. The 33-year old just recovered from a serious injury as well.
Martinez has been one of the best young players in Serie A this season. The 22-year old has scored 12 goals in 21 starts for the club, dovetailing well with fellow striker Romelu Lukaku.
The Barcelona hierarchy envisage a similar burgeoning partnership with Lionel Messi and that's the reason they are pushing hard to sign him.
Also Read: Barcelona flop Coutinho could be set for Tottenham Hotspur move
