Argentine legend Hernan Crespo believes Lautaro Martinez could be better served staying with Inter Milan rather than pursuing a fresh challenge elsewhere. The 22-year-old has formed an impressive partnership with Romelu Lukaku upfront this season and he has bagged 16 goals and four assists for the club this term.

His progress has caught the eye of many clubs and that includes Barcelona, who are keen to land him as a long-term replacement for Luis Suarez. The Blaugrana have yet to reach any sort of agreement with the Nerazzurri for the marksman but Crespo, who spent four years at San Siro, has urged his compatriot to continue his progress with the Serie A outfit.

He told: “I would like him to stay at Inter because this has been his first year as a starter. I wish he had a bit more of a solid foundation before another change comes. Trains slow down at the best stations and Lautaro is one of them. He is a very serious and focused boy. I really like that. He has a lot of personality. He is a complete player who can play in attack both alone and accompanying another striker.”
Nerazzurri sporting director Piero Ausilio has recently indicated that the club have no plans of parting ways with Martinez and the Blaugrana must trigger the £102m release clause on his contract to sign him. The Spanish champions are not in a position to meet the figure at the moment but they need to act soon, considering the buy-out clause expires on July 15.

Philippe Coutinho, Rafinha and Nelson Semedo are some of the players, who have been touted to head through the exit door. However, the Blaugrana may struggle to recoup funds over the next month or so, particularly with the reopening of the summer transfer window likely to be delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.