Real Madrid told to Pay €70 Million For Lautaro Martinez

Real Madrid have shown interest in Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan and according to Tuttosport, the Spanish club has been told that they will need to splash a sum of €70 million if they want to sign the Argentine striker.

Martinez has been a huge hit in Italy since signing for Inter Milan from Argentine outfit Racing Club in 2018. The 23-year-old has formed a brilliant partnership with Romelu Lukaku over the past couple of years at San Siro, and played a crucial role in the Nerazzum winning the Serie A title this season after a wait of 11 years.

Martinez, in the 2020/21 campaign, has produced an impressive tally of 18 goals and 9 assists from 45 games across all competitions. He has become a long-term transfer target for Barcelona and is now registered on the radars of their arch-rivals Real Madrid as well, heading into the summer window.

Los Blancos want a replacement for ageing Karim Benzema while also putting in place a long-term succession plan for the 33-year-old. 

Real Madrid remain firmly interested in PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe while Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland is also high on their wishlist. However, the finances involved in order to secure either of the two players could very well be beyond their means.

To that end, Martinez is being viewed as an alternative, with reports claiming that talks are already on to secure a move for the Argentine.

Inter Milan view the striker as a key part of the club’s plans moving forward. However, at the same time, they are also not in good health financially and will need to cut some players in order to balance the books, opening the door for Martinez’s potential exit.