Real Madrid are sorely lacking star quality at the number nine spot, but one of the few names linked to Los Blancos outside of Kylian Mbappe has brushed off speculation that he could be the one to solve their problems up front.
Rodrygo Goes has admitted he doesn’t like playing nine, while Joselu Mato seems unlikely to get the nod over larger stars for larger games. Lautaro Martinez of Inter would stand a better chance, but speaking at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, said he only wanted Inter.
“Real Madrid? Obviously we are talking about a very big team but my head and my heart are always turned towards Inter.”
“I feel good with my family in Milan and I just want to take Inter as high as possible and continue winning trophies,” Martinez told Ibai Llanos on Twitch, as per Marca.
Martinez would likely be a solid addition, given he is mobile, versatile, and links with his teammates well. While at times there have been doubts over whether he is truly prolific, Martinez has averaged around 30 goal contributions over the past two seasons, and has 12 goals and 2 assists in 14 games this season.
Naturally, until the future of Kylian Mbappe is resolved, he will always stand out as the prime candidate to take the number nine slot that Karim Benzema left behind. Yet there is no doubt Los Blancos will be assessing their options in the event they canot sign him.
