Lautaro Martinez

[mc_lovin]

For me another galactico transfer for a position thats well covered - and would be just marginally improved - would kind of suck. Dembeles erratic style and injuries are worrisome, but hes not complete shit. Richarlison wouldnt be that much of an improvement, Sancho is Dembele 2.0 and Sane had a bad injury, is Bayern bound and not that much better. For me another LW is just not feasible.

Lautaro looks like the right kind of hybrid LW/CF that would improve our depth massively.

 

[Riordon]

For me, Lautaro doesn't look like a LW/CF type of player. He is a CF in the mold of Suarez, Aguero, Falcao - that kind. On the LW we need a winger who can run in behind. That run Griezmann took that lead to the 1-0 goal? We need players who can do that regularly. Runs in behind is the number 1 thing we lack in the attack.
At the same time the player must be a hard worker and can create 1v1. Only few wingers can combine hardwork, goals and creating. They all play for the great clubs. Mane, Son, Gnabry, Sterling, Saleh - these types.

I see Richarlison able to reach that kind of level potentially. And he is really not a galactico transfers. He will cost 50+m for sure though. Werner fits the profile but lack technique.
IMO Lautaro at LW would be a waste. I wouldn't go for him this summer but if he can keep improving maybe the next one.

 

[Barcilliant]

For me, Lautaro doesn't look like a LW/CF type of player. He is a CF in the mold of Suarez, Aguero, Falcao - that kind. On the LW we need a winger who can run in behind. That run Griezmann took that lead to the 1-0 goal? We need players who can do that regularly. Runs in behind is the number 1 thing we lack in the attack.
At the same time the player must be a hard worker and can create 1v1. Only few wingers can combine hardwork, goals and creating. They all play for the great clubs. Mane, Son, Gnabry, Sterling, Saleh - these types.

I see Richarlison able to reach that kind of level potentially. And he is really not a galactico transfers. He will cost 50+m for sure though. Werner fits the profile but lack technique.
IMO Lautaro at LW would be a waste. I wouldn't go for him this summer but if he can keep improving maybe the next one.

This. He is a pure cf. Another thing is he plays for Inter, a team with a different style. I can see him becoming the next Paco. I like him but I don't think he's the answer to our striker question.

 

[Chainsaw]

Lautaro is far from being a complete striker but he's improving, and if his awareness and finishing get better he could become a complete striker. He's a workhouse and sometimes this leads to him being reckless about his decision making. I'm happy he's improving each week and I hope he keeps it up.

And he's not a PURE CF! He can actually cover the LW position better than Griezmann. The latter is more of a CF than El Toro.

 

[mc_lovin]

This. He is a pure cf. Another thing is he plays for Inter, a team with a different style. I can see him becoming the next Paco. I like him but I don't think he's the answer to our striker question.

So, we can only buy players from Ajax, City, Gremio? The only question that counts is if hes good enough. Time will tell. And hes as much of a pure cf as someone like Villa, he looks flexible (aka mobile) enough to be a decent makeshift LW/inverted winger in our system.

 

[EdmondDantes]

For me, Lautaro doesn't look like a LW/CF type of player. He is a CF in the mold of Suarez, Aguero, Falcao - that kind. On the LW we need a winger who can run in behind. That run Griezmann took that lead to the 1-0 goal? We need players who can do that regularly. Runs in behind is the number 1 thing we lack in the attack.
At the same time the player must be a hard worker and can create 1v1. Only few wingers can combine hardwork, goals and creating. They all play for the great clubs. Mane, Son, Gnabry, Sterling, Saleh - these types.

I see Richarlison able to reach that kind of level potentially. And he is really not a galactico transfers. He will cost 50+m for sure though. Werner fits the profile but lack technique.
IMO Lautaro at LW would be a waste. I wouldn't go for him this summer but if he can keep improving maybe the next one.

As crazy as it is to say, I've seen Gabriel Jesus make huge leaps in quality over the last 6 months. And I never knew he had that in him to be honest.


The other day I saw he completed 5 dribbles vs Palace away, and they were all direct, towards the goal.


I remember Pep himself saying he wasn't a 1v1 player a few years back. His technique looks a lot cleaner now, his hold-up play is good and he can play one touch football no problem.


Much like Richarlison, he's like prime Suarez in terms of work-rate as well. Runs and chases all game, is good in the air despite his height and still only 22.


He's an interesting option (for the centre forward role) given the dearth of real quality out there - and that's something I'd never thought I'd be saying a year or two ago.


Lautaro is interesting as well, but I'm not sure if he's mobile enough, and as of now, his pressing isn't close to what we had with Suarez when we signed him. We need somebody like that to give Messi freedom and keep him in the team as long as possible.

 

[Riordon]

As crazy as it is to say, I've seen Gabriel Jesus make huge leaps in quality over the last 6 months. And I never knew he had that in him to be honest.


The other day I saw he completed 5 dribbles vs Palace away, and they were all direct, towards the goal.


I remember Pep himself saying he wasn't a 1v1 player a few years back. His technique looks a lot cleaner now, his hold-up play is good and he can play one touch football no problem.


Much like Richarlison, he's like prime Suarez in terms of work-rate as well. Runs and chases all game, is good in the air despite his height and still only 22.


He's an interesting option (for the centre forward role) given the dearth of real quality out there - and that's something I'd never thought I'd be saying a year or two ago.


Lautaro is interesting as well, but I'm not sure if he's mobile enough, and as of now, his pressing isn't close to what we had with Suarez when we signed him. We need somebody like that to give Messi freedom and keep him in the team as long as possible.

Gabriel Jesus is a interesting option aswell if City let him go. He is like Lautaro not dependent on service and can create for himself through dribbling and linkup play. We are better of with these South American central strikers, just suits us more.

Btw, what is your opinion about Richarlison? Seeing you follow brazilians a lot. I think he a great goalscoring LW, his numbers last season is up there with Son and Mane (expect last season) and Sterling. Little worried about his 1v1 is good enough to play LW though. He is my favourite option for the LW position

 

[raki]

Lautaro is gonna be very expensive.

 

[BBZ8800]

Scored 10 goals in 35 league matches.

His numbers will have to go up a lot if he'll want to play in a bigger club than Inter.

 

[Barcaman]

He's one of those rare players you see and you instantly know he is special. Don't think we can fit him though and I do believe he's a better off playing with another striker as he is doing now with Lukaku.

 

[Riordon]

He's one of those rare players you see and you instantly know he is special. Don't think we can fit him though and I do believe he's a better off playing with another striker as he is doing now with Lukaku.

Good point. This season he has been better than last one. Maybe due to Lukaku, maybe Conte.

 

[soul24rage]

Scored 10 goals in 35 league matches.

His numbers will have to go up a lot if he'll want to play in a bigger club than Inter.

well, it was his first season in Europe last season.

This season he has 4 goals and 2 assists in 8 league matches, which is good for a 22 year old.

I would keep an eye out for him as an option for a striker.

 

[Andresito]

A quick Google search says that his release clause is 111M with Inter looking to increase it.

He'll need to have a real breakout season to warrant that sum. Jovic had a great season and went for half of that but hasn't managed to repay the sum yet.

What do you guys think about his clause? Reasonable or delusion?

 

[mc_lovin]

Not reasonable right now. Lautaro needs an insane season to justify that. But thats modern football for you: if he has a great season he will easily cost >80ME and close to 111ME.

 

[EdmondDantes]

Gabriel Jesus is a interesting option aswell if City let him go. He is like Lautaro not dependent on service and can create for himself through dribbling and linkup play. We are better of with these South American central strikers, just suits us more.

Btw, what is your opinion about Richarlison? Seeing you follow brazilians a lot. I think he a great goalscoring LW, his numbers last season is up there with Son and Mane (expect last season) and Sterling. Little worried about his 1v1 is good enough to play LW though. He is my favourite option for the LW position

Richarlison's future lies at centre forward for me.

Right now I think he's a wide forward and not a winger. Wingers do well in tight spaces and 1v1s. Richarlison is definitely not that.

Sure he can use his speed to knock it past a defender on a counter but he's more of a goalscorer. That's what makes Mane so special. He can be a genuine winger but he's also a top class wide forward.


Richie could go either way, he can be a top 5 striker in a few years or he could fall off a cliff, I don't know. I do love his relentless running, tackling and pressing though. And when he's on the ball he's always aggressive, much like the way he set up Sigurdsson in the 93rd minute to kill the game off this past weekend after running West Ham's defense ragged all game.


I have a soft spot for this new breed of exceptionally hard working forwards though. Which is exactly what Suarez was back in his prime, on top of being the world's deadliest striker of course. I don't know if any of these lads will get even close to matching Luis, but they are definitely faster than he was.