Inter Milan have confirmed the signing of Argentinian striker Lautaro Martinez from Racing Club de Avellaneda after reportedly matching his €23m release clause.
The forward has signed a contract with the Nerazzurri that runs until the summer of 2023 and adds another potent component to the Inter attack.
Martinez bagged 13 goals in 20 appearances in the Argentinian Primera Division last season and has scored a total of 29 goals for the club since making his debut in 2015.
His deal with Inter is worth a reported €1.5m and the club have inserted a release clause of €111m, one million higher than that of Icardi.
The 5ft7ins forward can play as an out-an-out striker or as a second striker, which will give Inter some versatility with Icardi now having a compatriot to link up with ahead of next season’s Champions League campaign.
Inter coach Luciano Spalletti praised his new man’s flexibility: “He’s strong technically, he’s very physically solid and he has the right head, he’s a mobile attacker who can also do the second tip if necessary”.
Inter are thought to have matched the release clause in the player’s contract, paying €23m with 10% of any future fee going to Racing Club.
DONE DEAL: Lautaro Martinez has joined @Inter from Racing Club for a reported €23m, signing a five-year contract. pic.twitter.com/hIERfxMJKY
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) July 4, 2018
Who is Lautaro Martinez?
Martinez is highly rated in Argentina and understandably so.
The 20-year-old has not only shown the scoring touch at club level, scoring nine time in 23 appearances during his breakout season in 2016/17, but he has also shown he can finish on the international stage.
He has bagged eight goals in just eleven appearances for the Argentine Under-20s squad leading to him earning his first senior call-up when he came on as a substitute in a friendly against Spain.
He was omitted from the final World Cup squad that headed to Russia but did make it in to the preliminary selection, which contained stars like Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero and Paulo Dybala. Such were the forward options for Argentina even his new teammate Mauro Icardi, who scored 29 goals in Serie A this season, was left-out of the squad. Although this is widely thought to be rooted in off-field issues.
Inter will be delighted to have finally got their man after the player was linked with Spanish giants Real Madrid. The striker allegedly came close to joining Los Blancos in 2015, but his father claimed he wasn’t ready for the move.
He will join up with Inter’s other new recruits this summer with Radja Nainggolan, Stefan de Vrij, Federico Dimarco, Kwadwo Asamoah and Matteo Politano already confirmed.
Inter’s love affair with the Argentinian striker
Martinez joins a list of Argentine strikers that have played for the Nerazzurri to some success. He will join illustrious names such as Diego Milito, who led the line successfully between 2009 and 2014 scoring 75 goals in 171 appearances.
Inter Milan's 21st century Argentina strikers:
Lautaro Martínez
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) July 4, 2018
He also joins compatriot Mauro Icardi who has been a massive success at the Giuseppe Meazza. Icardi joined the club in 2013 and has already bagged 100 goals in Serie A and 107 in total.
If Martinez can emulate either of these great success stories, he will be a massive hit in Italy.
The post Inter confirm signing of striker Lautaro Martinez for a reported €23m appeared first on Squawka News.
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