Arsenal have added Lautaro Martinez to their striker shortlist but Mikel Arteta faces an imminent deadline to agree his summer transfer from Inter Milan to Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners will bid for a centre-forward this summer after an underwhelming season from their out-and-out strikers. Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah both failed to set the world alight in north London in 2023/24. So, Arteta put his faith in midfielder Kai Havertz to lead the line.
Havertz did a tremendous role as the focal point of the Arsenal frontline during the run-in of the Premier League title race. He scored eight goals and six assists in 12 of the Gunners’ last 16 matches as a No9. Jesus only scored four in 27 games and Nketiah hit five in 27 all term.
Arsenal explore a transfer for Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez
So, Calciomercato.it now claims that Arsenal have added Inter Milan captain Martinez to the club’s striker shortlist for this summer. The 26-year-old enjoyed a prolific season in Serie A this term with 24 goals in 33 games. He scored a total of 27 in 44 games in all competitions.
Martinez also made six assists as he led the Nerazzurri to lift the Scudetto by 19 points to AC Milan. His goals also returned the Argentine the Golden Boot as Serie A’s top scorer by eight strikes. Martinez (24) left Dusan Vlahovic (16) and Victor Osimhen (15) in his wake this term.
Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi loved what Martinez offered as a captain, as well as the goals that have Arsenal showing interest in his transfer, too. The Italian particularly sang the 2022 World Cup winner’s praises after their 1-0 win over SSC Napoli in the Supercoppa final.
“He is a real captain, a great man and footballer,” Inzaghi said, via quotes by Football Italia in January. “You see him on the pitch and I see him every day in training. I see the way he helps the team. He has had six spectacular months.”
READ MORE: How much Arsenal paid to sign every first-team player in the transfer market
Inter Milan will meet Lautaro Martinez’s agent next week to discuss a new contract
Martinez scored the only goal of the Supercoppa final in the 91st minute for his 21st goal in 27 games this season. Yet Arsenal are interested in prising the Bahia Blanca-born forward to Emirates Stadium as his contract with Inter Milan is currently only set to run until June 2026.
But Arteta and sporting director Edu face an imminent deadline to convince Martinez about a switch to N5. Calciomercato.it also quotes the attacker’s agent, Alejandro Camano, stating that he will soon sit down with the San Siro side to discuss a new contract for the Argentine.
“For Lautaro, being captain of a team like this is a great emotion,” Camano said. “It is a great emotion to work on the renewal two years before the deadline.
READ MORE: All Mikel Arteta signings at Arsenal ranked from worst to best
“Next week, there is a meeting scheduled with Inter. Nobody is nervous. We are working to find an agreement that is good for the player and for the club.”
Arsenal could struggle to convince Martinez to leave Inter Milan given what it means to him to be the Nerazzurri’s captain. Arteta and Edu cannot offer him the captaincy at the Emirates with Martin Odegaard leading the Gunners by example terrifically, both on and off the pitch.
But the terms of the contract Camano and Inter Milan negotiate could offer Arsenal a way to get Martinez’s transfer. Capology notes he is the top earner at San Siro at £184k-a-week. Yet the forward would only rank in eighth in Arsenal’s wage bill with that salary in north London.