5 realistic striker options Chelsea should chase this summer
By Malcom David
3. Lautaro Martinez
Lautaro Martinez has established himself as one of Europe’s best strikers over these past few seasons. At Inter Milan, Martinez has recorded over 15 goals in four consecutive Serie A campaigns and this season in particular he finished as the league’s second top scorer with 21 goals. At the club level, the Argentinian forward has been primarily deployed as a second striker or complementary striker in a two-man striker partnership.
He’s more technical on the ball than most strikers, using his dribbling and pace create chances for himself and his teammates, highlighted by his 11 assists this season. When it comes to scoring goals, Martinez possesses the instincts of a fox in the box. He excels at playing off his striking partner, capitalizing on crosses and demonstrating exceptional finishing skills when he’s in top form.
Despite Martinez being elite when he’s on form, he’s prone for inconsistentency throughout a season, especially on the biggest of stages. The 2022 World Cup serves as a prime example. Martinez began the tournament as Argentina’s favored starting striker, yet after consistently missing chances in the opening matches, he was benched in favor of Julian Alvarez.
The uncertainty around whether Martinez will succeed once he leaves Inter comes mainly from the fact that he benefits from playing in a two-striker system, arising concerns as to how he would thrive as a lone striker in the Premier League.
Signing Martinez would be a high-risk, high reward move. If he manages to adapt and perform, he has the potential to be exceptional. If he flops, he’ll be yet another expensive striker signing that did not work out at Chelsea. Hopefully the latter will be the case.