Arsenal have reportedly contacted Inter Milan to sound out a deal for Lautaro Martinez. So, I decided to take a deeper look into how Martinez could fit in tactically under Mikel Arteta. Like most people, I’d heard enough about Martinez to know that he’s got great potential. He’s also been a wonderkid on FM for about 3 years, so…
However, I’d never done any serious digging. So I got a few pointers from The Coaches Voice, and went ahead with my own research to see what’s what. Surprisingly, the points laid out by the professional writers and footballing experts are the same points I came across watching clips. So before you say I just ripped them off, consider that great minds think alike 😉
Lautaro Martínez Core Strengths
Movement
Straight off the bat, Martinez is seriously an elite striker in the box. He has intelligent movement and an uncanny ability to find space. Watching highlights, you’ll see multiple examples of Martínez slipping away from markers in the box. He also splits defenders with clever timing of runs.
A common reaction of defenders is: “I thought you were meant to be marking him.” He reminds me of a raw Sergio Aguero, and Martínez’s movement is up there with the best.
Similarly, Lautaro’s movement is just as effective in other areas of the pitch. Intelligent running and playing off the shoulder are also in his repertoire. This makes Lautauro a credible threat from balls in behind.
Finishing
I’ll start something with the most valuable attribute to the Arsenal team. Martínez is an established aerial threat who’s scored headers throughout his career. Our attack is stifled by having no real aerial presence. Martínez’s accurate finishing will add a whole new dimension to Arteta’s options moving forward.
Speaking of accurate finishing, I’d say at least 85% of the goals I reviewed for this article ended in either of the bottom corners. Seriously, this boy is the definition of composure. He scores: from either foot, curls them far post, wacks em’ hard, shoots from range, and is a near post specialist!
He also scores volleys and can take penalties. From the clips I watched for research, Lautaro favours finessing the ball home from within the box. He is a capable finisher and absolutely deadly within this distance.
Finally, Lautaro is a dynamic finisher. He scores goals under pressure from defenders, on the turn, and has several one, and two-touch finishes to his name.
Technical Skillset
Like most South American forwards playing at the top level, Martínez is a great technician. He’s an excellent dribbler with tight control, and he regularly plays his way out of trouble. These attributes mean that Martínez is skilled at retaining possession, particularly under pressure.
He’s also brilliant at combining with others. His interplay with Lukaku is very impressive and a perfect example of how he could feature at Arsenal.
You may also have noticed in the highlights that Martínez regularly wriggles away from defenders. It’s another reason why he reminds me of Aguero. The ability to roll defends and execute clever turns is second to none in the EPL.
Throughout his career, Lautaro Martínez has done this to escape tight areas. This usually takes multiple defenders out of the equation, giving himself space to pass or shoot.
Finally, Lautaro is genuinely a good passer of the ball. This serves to add to the potency and effectiveness of his end product.
Playing Mentality
The hallmark of many a great striker is anticipation. Martínez is very sharp in this department, with quick reactions to boot. He also brings the a-typical South-American tenacity seen by the likes of Tevez, Aguero, Sanchez, and Torreira in recent years.
This dogged determination and high work rate lend themselves well to the Premier League. Martínez presses in the final third, as well as dropping deep to help the midfield when needed. This is not dissimilar to players like Lacazette or Giroud, and Martínez definitely is a team player.
Physical Attributes
As I said before, Lautaro genuinely reminds me of Sergio Aguero. He has a low centre of gravity, decent pace, and is quite agile. As such, Martínez can carry the ball when needed. He’s also hard to barge off the ball and has enough strength to hold off defenders.
Being an aerial threat, he also possesses a decent leap. His technical quality means he’s also capable of bringing others into the picture too. The combination of these traits makes Martínez great at holding up play.
Tactical Suitability
Based on the strengths detailed above, Martinez is a pretty versatile player. I think he’d fit a multitude of teams, philosophies, and playing styles. His interplay, work rate, and hold-up ability mean that Martinez is well suited for a high-intensity press.
Lautaro is already very handy in transition. The fact his skill set is so diverse, means he’s suited to high possession or direct football too. He is as capable of stepping into midfield as he is running behind.
Finally, Matínez’s creativity shouldn’t be overlooked. His 6 league assists from last season surpass anyone at Arsenal. The fact that he is so positionally intelligent also means he can be effective however/wherever he is deployed.
Tactical Roles
Martínez offers a manager a lot of options. Lautaro can hold up the ball, link with other players, and play with the ball at feet. As such, false 9, target man, or complete forward are all viable roles to trial.
Conversely, his strength in running behind and playing off the shoulder means that an advanced forward is another avenue. Lautaro Martínez can also press from the front, so a more aggressive, defensive forward role is another possibility.
Having excellent movement and finishing in and around the box, you cannot discount using Martínez purely as a poacher either. This isn’t likely from an Arsenal context, but the man scores goals and finds space.
Finally, Martínez could be deployed as an inside forward, aka the Aubameyang role. The combination of physical (pace, agility), mental (work rate, flair, movement), and technical (dribbling, first touch, passing), fits the criteria of a traditional winger rather well.
I don’t want to see Martínez play there. I also don’t want to see Auba covering the LWB position. But it’s a possibility.
Reservations
Inconsistency and confidence dependant
Last but not least, we have to talk about doubts. Lautaro Martínez is said to be a confidence player. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. However, Pepe’s a confidence player too, and he completely disappears when the tank is empty.
To be fair, I haven’t watched Martínez at length throughout a season. So to cross-reference this and claims of inconsistency, I referred to his match ratings for last season. He throws in a real stinker of a performance roughly every 4 games. Also, a goal-per-game ratio of 0.4 isn’t exactly revolutionary. There could be something in these claims.
There’s also the suggestion that Martínez’s career hasn’t flown off in the way it was expected. This concern seems premature considering his age (23). However, Inter made it clear that Martínez is the player they’re cashing in to raise funds. 28-year-old Lukaku, on the other hand, is being kept.
Lautaro Martínez transfer to Arsenal isn't easy
In regards to the transfer itself, Inter wants cash upfront, and Arsenal are Arsenal. Also, should Spurs lose Kane, Martínez is supposedly the number one replacement. Man City look set to complete the signing of Grealish, so fingers crossed it doesn’t come to this.
If it does, there’s no way Arsenal can compete with Spurs, having received £100m+ for Harry Kane. Arsenal completing this deal is also reliant on Lacazette leaving the club. He has been touted as part of the move for Martínez.
Since Inter need to save money on wages and generate cash, I don’t see how having £180k per week Lacazette in part exchange is viable. A deal isn’t impossible, but I think it will be tough to complete, and not all the factors are in Arsenal’s control.
I suppose we’ll just have to watch this space, and anything could happen.
In the meantime, Arsenal could do a lot worse than signing Lautaro Martínez *cough* Tammy Abraham *Cough*
Tarai