Barcelona must not foolishly give into Lionel Messi’s demand this summer

Barcelona must not give into Leo Messi’s demand this summer

Lionel Messi has been wanting his compatriot Lautaro Martinez from the start of the season as the captain of Barcelona believes the Inter Milan striker would help to put the club back on track with his capabilities.

More from Everything Barca

• FC Barcelona tracking Belgian Wonderkid
• FC Barcelona vs Betis Player Ratings
• Barça boss Xavi to get contract extension
• FC Barcelona planning swoop for Arsenal midfielder
• Barcelona interested in €30 million wonderkid

Luis Suarez has also been an admirer of the fellow South American forward, the former Liverpool striker also stated that Martinez would be the ideal one to fill in his boots at the Camp Nou as Suarez has entered the final year of his contract at Barca.

However, is Martinez actually worth all the effort?

The San Siro striker is currently valued at 90 million euros after his hefty 110 million euros release clause expired earlier at the start of July.

His performance this season under Antonio Conte has caught the attention of several clubs in Europe including Manchester City who is prepared to go all out to sign the talismanic forward.

Lautaro Martinez has scored 13 goals so far in the Serie A along with 3 assists as Inter are placed second in the Italian league table. However, the question arises is if the Argentine striker is actually worth all the hype and the hefty price tag.

The 2019/20 season has been the former Racing Club’s forward’s breakthrough season, however, Lautaro has not been as consistent as everyone has expected the player to be. The 22-year-old hit the ground running in the Serie A and the Champions League, however, Martinez has gone missing on numerous occasions this season.

Since the start of 2020, Martinez has scored just five times which is quite a shocking figure given all the hype and how highly rated the player is. Barcelona has already made far too many mistakes in the transfer market and Lautaro Martinez could be the next one.

The ideal option for Barca would be to wait for another season to see whether Martinez is not a one-season wonder as many now believe so. Just because Lionel Messi wants his national teammate at the club does not mean that it must happen.

The Blaugrana have already made ample mistakes in the transfer market including the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Antoine Griezmann, and Ousmane Dembele. Barca cannot afford to make another blunder by paying 90 million euros for a one-season wonder.

Antoine Griezmann should be given the role of the main striker at the club next season ahead of Luis Suarez and in the summer of 2021, the Catalans could consider signing a replacement striker then.

Do you believe that Lautaro Martinez is prepared to make the big jump in his career to the Camp Nou after having one good season at the San Siro?