Two issues as Man City try to hijack Man Utd, Chelsea striker signing

Lautaro Martinez TEAMtalk

Manchester City want to sign Lautaro Martinez as the long-term successor to Sergio Aguero – but he would rather line up alongside another Argentine compatriot.

That’s according to Tuttoport (via Sport), who bring the latest update on the future of the Inter Milan striker whose name is on everyone’s lips in Italy.

Martinez’s goalscoring exploits this season have been a key part of Inter’s (albeit fading) title challenge, with his form attracting interest from across Europe.

Chelsea and Manchester United have both been linked, but according to the Italian newspaper, it is the latter’s rivals, Man City, who are pushing to sign Martinez.

It is claimed that Pep Guardiola views him as the ideal replacement for Aguero, as the career of City’s all-time leading scorer draws nearer its conclusion.

However, City face two obstacles in trying to get their man – first, if their Champions League ban is upheld, Martinez would not be convinced of the destination, and besides, he already has somewhere else on his mind.

The Argentina international’s preference would be to join Barcelona, who are eyeing a long-term replacement for a star striker of their own in Luis Suarez.

Martinez is eager to join forces with his international teammate Lionel Messi, and may be prepared to reject other transfers if there is a chance that the deal can be done.

It has even been suggested that his agents have already negotiated a deal in principle for his contract at Camp Nou, but work remains to be done on agreeing a price with Inter.

 

Should Manchester City miss out on Martinez, then they may look in-house, with Gabriel Jesus already a more than capable centre-forward in his own right.

However, they will have to ensure he is not tempted by any offers from elsewhere, with Juventus reportedly weighing up an offer for the Brazilian.

And his agent has refused to rule out the potential exit.

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