One of Lautaro Martinez’s former mentors has advised the striker to leave Inter and join Barcelona. “Go and play with the best footballer in the world.”
Adrian Ruben Fernandez is the President of youth football at Racing Club and was an instrumental figure in unearthing Martinez’s potential, prior to his €22.7m move to Inter in the summer of 2018.
“He was a very smart, focused and humble boy,” he told Sport.
One of Lautaro Martinez’s former mentors has advised the striker to leave Inter and join Barcelona. “Go and play with the best footballer in the world.”
Adrian Ruben Fernandez is the President of youth football at Racing Club and was an instrumental figure in unearthing Martinez’s potential, prior to his €22.7m move to Inter in the summer of 2018.
“He was a very smart, focused and humble boy,” he told Sport.
“Lautaro always knew that he wanted to be a professional footballer. He did everything possible to achieve it and never lost sight of his great objective.
“He rejected an offer from Real Madrid because we talked to people who love Racing and those in charge.
“We told him that the most important thing for him at the time was to stay with us, to debut with Racing and spend time in the Argentine top flight.
“Luckily he listened to us and he made his official league debut on October 31, 2015, aged just 18, replacing the one and only Diego Milito.
“The truth is that in Italy, Lautaro is showing everything we think he can give. He surprised us and still surprises us every day because he’s always improving and, despite being so young, he already stands out as a complete striker and as a pure goalscorer.
“He has all the same characteristics as [Sergio] Aguero. I believe he’s following Aguero’s path precisely and that he’ll go on to have a successful career like Aguero.
“He’d even say that Lautaro is a better header and has a much better left foot, but he’ll have to prove it over time. Hopefully he can.”
With that in mind, Fernandez was then asked whether the Argentine should link up with Lionel Messi in Barca’s front three.
“I know everything will go very well for him at Barcelona playing alongside Messi and that Lautaro will be an excellent replacement for Luis Suárez.
“He’s the ideal heir, he has barbarous ability and Barca will let him develop as a footballer and as a man.
“I’d tell him to go and play with the best footballer in the world, who is still only 32 years old and has 3-4 more seasons ahead of him.
“Being Messi’s teammate at Barcelona would get the best out of him and help them be in perfect harmony for Argentina too.
“Lautaro and Leo could come to understand each other in the best way on the pitch.”