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Lautaro Martinez is a man in demand. The 22-year Inter Milan striker has been widely acknowledged as one of the best young strikers in the world. Such is this recognition that it was heavily reported that Barcelona saw him as the perfect replacement for Luis Suarez. So much so, that they were willing to activate his €111 million release clause. However, arch-rivals Real Madrid seem to have their own plans for targeting the Argentine international.
Sky Italia has claimed that Real Madrid are now in talks with the player as well as the Italian club. With Luka Jovic failing to hit the heights many thought he would, it seems Los Blancos have now turned their attention towards the Argentine.
Martinez was previously close to a move to Real Madrid
Links with Real Madrid are not new. In 2015, Racing Club and the Spanish giants struck a deal for his signature. However, Martinez decided to stay put in Argentina, eventually moving to Italy three years later.
Martinez has made 31 appearances for Inter Milan in all competitions this season, scoring 22 times and assisting once. His partnership with fellow striker Romelu Lukaku has flourished. It is no wonder Barcelona and Real Madrid are interested. Manchester City, too, are following his development closely.
Barcelona, however, seem to have a backup plan in case the Martinez transfer does not go through. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been highlighted as "plan B", and it is said that the Gabonese forward would be highly interested in making the move to Camp Nou. This is surprising; the Arsenal striker has often said that a move to Real Madrid was his dream. However, with just a year left on his contract, Arsenal might look to sell the striker rather than release him as a free agent.
The 30-year old Aubameyang has been one of the best players in the EPL this season. In 26 appearances he has scored 17 goals, and is the captain of the club under Mikel Arteta.
He is a fan favorite as well; Arsenal fans would rather let go of Alexandre Lacazette, their other star forward, instead of Aubameyang.
For Real Madrid, however, the attraction towards Martinez is understandable. Luka Jovic was brought in for a huge fee to replace Karim Benzema in the long run. However, his performances on the field, as well as antics off the field, seems to be testing the patience at Santiago Bernabeu.
Barcelona on the other hand, seem to be financially fragile right now. Reports suggest that another pay cut for the players might be in the offing. More impetus is being placed towards selling players rather than buying them, with Coutinho and Dembele looking likely to leave.
Whoever signs El Toro Martinez would get a striker who works extremely hard, while also scoring a good amount of goals. With Suarez as well as Benzema aging, and with both Barcelona and Real Madrid not having any proper plans of their succession, it will be interesting to see who gets the Argentine.
