According to the print edition of Corriere dello Sport (13/04/22 – as relayed by Sport Witness), Tottenham would have to pay €70m-€80m (£57.9m-£66.2m) to sign Lautaro Martinez this summer.
There has been plenty of speculation linking Tottenham with a move for Martinez recently, with the North Londoners expected to prioritise a deal for the Inter star when the transfer window reopens in the summer (Inter Live).
It has been suggested that Spurs would be willing to let Paulo Dybala join Inter Milan as that would open the door for them to snap up Martinez (TuttoSport).
Tottenham’s managing director of football Fabio Paratici is thought to be a big fan of the 24-year-old (Football Transfers).
Corriere have now revealed that Spurs came close to snapping up Martinez last summer but the club’s offer came ‘too late’, with Inter already having accepted Chelsea’s bid for Romelu Lukaku at the time.
It is revealed that Tottenham’s offer of €95m (£78.6m) for the Argentine would have otherwise been accepted.
The report goes on to explain that Inter’s valuation of Martinez has dropped this summer and that Spurs would have to pay around €70m-€80m (£57.9m-£66.2m) for the forward.
Atletico Madrid are also named as potential suitors for the Inter star, with Diego Simeone’s side expected to be in the market for a goalscorer.
Spurs Web Opinion
Martinez would be a fantastic addition for us as the Argentine’s versatility would give Conte plenty of options in the forward areas. However, I do wonder if spending £60m-plus on a forward would be the right way to go for Spurs given that other areas of the squad are more in need of reinforcements.
Perhaps, Paratici and Conte will decide that spending around £20m- £25m on a decent backup to Kane and using the majority of our budget on upgrades at wing-back, centre-back and midfield, would be the way to go.