MADRID (Reuters) - Barcelona are stepping up efforts to sign Argentine striker Laotaro Martinez from Inter Milan, the Spanish media reported on Friday.
The Spanish newspaper "AS" that Barcelona is looking forward to the completion of the deal Martinez, 22, to be a replacement for Uruguayan star Luis Suarez, the current striker of the Catalan club, which is expected to be the last season for him.
Therefore, Barcelona is seeking to sign a high-caliber striker, and Martinez seems to be the closest in this regard as he has great technical features, most notably physical strength and the ability to create spaces on the pitch and pressure on the defenders of the opposing team.
The Spanish newspaper confirmed that Barcelona sent a delegation to follow the player directly through his matches with Inter and Argentina recently.
S has revealed in a previous report that Barcelona is looking for a 20 to 26-year-old striker for a reasonable fee, because he does not want to negotiate with big stars because of their high market value.
The conditions set by Barcelona for the new striker apply to Martinez, although his outstanding appearance, especially in the Champions League, may raise the price in the coming period.
However, Barcelona will continue its attempts to sign the Argentine striker, where he began to talk with his close associates in preparation for entering into serious negotiations to sign him in the coming period.