Manchester City: Lautaro Martínez is perfect to succeed Sergio Agüero
Although Gabriel Jesus is a talented player, Inter’s Argentinian star Lautaro Martínez is a perfect replacement for talisman Sergio Agüero.
With Manchester City’s all-time leading goalscorer Sergio Agüero out with an injury, the club has relied on Gabriel Jesus up top. Although the Brazilian remains one of the league’s brightest young stars, City could use another option—and have been linked with Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martínez.
The 22-year old Argentinian has flourished under Antonio Conte at Inter, bagging 13 goals in 20 appearances this season, including five in five Champions League matches. Jesus, on the other hand, has blown very hot and cold so far this season, turning in a man of the match performance against Burnley then immediately struggling to make any impact in the Manchester Derby.
At 31 years of age, Agüero has not been displaced by Jesus as many had predicted would occur under Guardiola, instead molding himself into the perfect fit for the Catalan’s system. Without a regular run of games, Jesus does not have the chemistry with his teammates or make the same runs as Agüero. He may still be the heir apparent once the legend departs Manchester, but the fires of competition in the form of Martínez could be just what he needs to live up to his lofty potential.
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This is not the main area of concern with regard to transfers at the moment for City, however. Signing a central defender must be of the utmost importance, and potentially replacing Leroy Sané could be next. However, replacing Agüero with a fellow Argentinian poacher who is an out-and-out goalscorer seems like a natural fit, and I believe it would make Jesus maintain a high standard of excellence to get into the team. Martínez is a top player who bears a lot of resemblance to Agüero, and is truly one of world football’s most exciting young talents.
He will come at a premium, however, and given City’s recent financial issues, it could be a difficult move to pull off. Inter under Conte is a very exciting project, and the forward has also drawn the eye of clubs such as Barcelona. However, if City can address their primary concerns at the back in the coming windows and Martínez remains in Milan, a move to the Etihad could be a perfect fit for the next stage in his thrilling career.