Three reasons why Real Madrid should not prioritize Lautaro Martinez this summer

Real Madrid know they need to sign a world-class forward in the summer 2021 transfer market. As we saw during their anemic second leg loss to Chelsea, Los Blancos have one need that stands out well above the others, and that is their need for a top-scoring wide forward. And that’s why Kylian Mbappe remains a prime target, even if he is exceedingly difficult to sign during the pandemic.

Mbappe isn’t the only player on Real’s radar. Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland is an option. Even though he is not a winger, he is so prolific and young that Los Blancos cannot help but show interest.

And now a new name at striker has popped up. Well, he was linked to Real before, but the rumors cooled until now.

According to a report from Fabian Godoy of COPE, Real Madrid have been negotiating with Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez, who has formed one of the best striker partnerships in the world over the past couple of seasons with Romelu Lukaku. Thanks to this duo, Inter have won the Scudetto this season.

Lautaro is a great striker. But here are three reasons why Real Madrid should not sign the 23-year-old forward in the summer 2021 transfer market.

Real Madrid need to have another priority

Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez could conceivably help the Real Madrid attack as a second striker with Karim Benzema or even as a left forward, even if he has not featured at this position. But Los Blancos would be better off targeting that left-sided forward first, as opposed to making Martinez their transfer priority in attack.

It’s all about resource allocation. Realistically, Real Madrid can only fire one proverbial bullet in the transfer market. They don’t have enough money to double-dip. There can only be one marquee signing to transform the attack in 2021, because Real can only make enough sales to recoup the funds necessary for one splash.

Therefore, Real need to make sure they are exhausting every possible avenue to sign Kylian Mbappe. He is the best overall player and the best stylistic fit for what ails the club. Until it is 100 percent impossible for Los Blancos to sign Mbappe, they need to save their money for the PSG superstar forward.

If they can’t sign Mbappe, then someone like Lautaro comes into play as an enticing option. There should be other candidates besides Lautaro, but he would indeed be a possible, immediate “Plan B” if Mbappe cannot come.