Arsenal have revived their interest in signing Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez this summer, The Times reports.
The Gunners were heavily linked with the Argentine during last summer’s transfer window, but ultimately they could not afford his signature.
While the finances were a concern for the north London club, Inter were also reluctant to lose him after parting ways with Romelu Lukaku.
Martinez ended up signing a new long-term deal with Inter, but it appears they are willing to sanction his sale at the end of the campaign.
With the Nerazzurri’s financial problems, the Gunners have the opportunity to land Martinez for £60-70 million this time around.
However, a deal will entirely depend on whether they can qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Our view:
Arsenal started the campaign with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette as their main strikers with Eddie Nketiah being the back-up.
However, Aubameyang was offloaded to Barcelona on a free transfer midway through the season amid his inconsistent form and disciplinary reasons.
Lacazette and Nketiah have since shared the playing time up front for Arsenal, but neither have been able to find the back of the net on a regular basis.
Nketiah has shown promise over the past few games. He netted a brace against Chelsea and nearly scored against Manchester United and West Ham.
Both strikers have their contracts expiring at the end of June. Judging by recent displays, Nketiah could potentially put pen-to-paper on a renewal.
Regardless of this, the Gunners need a couple of marquee strikers. Martinez would be an excellent acquisition with his playing attributes familiar to Lacazette.
The 24-year-old is mobile and likes to drop into deeper attacking positions to hold-up play and link-up with his teammates. He is also alert with his defensive work.
On top of this, he is a quality finisher in the final third. The Argentine has netted 21 goals from 45 outings for Inter while bagging three assists in the process.
There is still room for improvement with his distribution, but he would be a big upgrade on Lacazette. Martinez averages an impressive three shots per game.
