It is no secret that Real Madrid need to sign a long-term number 9 as soon as possible. They did not really replace Karim Benzema in the summer. Joselu has done well so far but he has always been viewed as a short-term fix in the position. The Spanish international is 33 years of age and only on a season-long loan from Espanyol.
Real Madrid need to sign a world-class striker who can lead the line for many years to come. Unfortunately, Joselu is not that guy.
The club have been linked with plenty of strikers. One amongst them is Lautaro Martinez, who is in the form of his life right now.
Lautaro had come under a lot of criticism for his performances at last year’s World Cup, not scoring or assisting. He has taken his game to a new level since then though. According to stats from Transfermarkt, he has scored 12 goals and provided 2 assists in 13 appearances this season till now.
Lautaro makes feelings clear about Real Madrid rumours
This is not the first time that Real Madrid have been linked with Lautaro. The Argentine does seem to be content with life at Inter Milan right now though.
As reported by TUTTOmercatoWEB, during the interviews on the red carpet of the Ballon d’Or ceremony, Lautaro answered the questions of Twitch star Ibai Llanos, who asked if he was really close to Real Madrid last summer. The Argentine striker said:
"“Obviously we are talking about a very important team, but my thoughts and my mind are always turned towards Inter. I am very happy there, I have a contract and my family is very happy in Milan.”"
Lautaro is clearly settled at Inter Milan right now. He joined the club back in 2018 and has risen through the ranks to become captain of the club.
Of course, that does not mean that he could not make a move in the future. Especially if a club like Real Madrid come calling. It would not be easy to sign him though. The 26-year-old has a contract that runs until the summer of 2026. Let’s see what the future holds.