Lautaro Martinez Is One of the World's Best Strikers, Says Mauricio Pochettino

Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez is one of the world's best strikers, according to former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino.

The Argentinian told Radio La Plata (h/t Andy Ha at Football.London) that the 22-year-old's quality and potential mean he will be a target for the top clubs.

"Lautaro Martinez is one of the best strikers in the world. It's not just for what he does now, but for what his potential means going forward. If you start looking at hitmen for the big clubs, clearly his name has to be in there."

The striker joined Inter Milan in 2018 from Racing Club after rejecting interest from both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, according to Goal's Iain Strachan.

Martinez scored nine goals in all competitions in his first season at San Siro but has thrived in 2019-20 alongside Romelu Lukaku in attack and under new manager Antonio Conte:

The youngster's performances for the Serie A club have fuelled rumours he could be the subject of a big-money bid and leave Inter in the summer.

La Liga champions Barcelona have offered Martinez a five-year contract, according to journalist Nicolo Shira:

Captain Lionel Messi has praised his compatriot and said he hopes to moves to Barcelona, per football writer Dermot Corrigan:

Meanwhile, Premier League sides Chelsea and Manchester City are also keen on the forward, according to Sport (h/t Metro).

Inter vice-president Javier Zanetti has spoken about the speculation and said Martinez is "happy" at the club and thinks he will continue playing in Italy in an interview with Radio Continental (h/t Football Italia).

Per Juan Jimenez at AS, Martinez has a release clause that drops to €111 million in the first two weeks of July, and Inter Milan are likely to receive plenty of interest in the striker when the transfer window reopens.