Man Utd meet with Lautaro Martinez agents as Ed Woodward looks to hijack Barcelona move


Manchester United have reportedly met with Lautaro Martinez's agents.
Manchester United are reportedly keeping a close eye on Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez's situation and even met with the forward's representatives prior to the enforced coronavirus break.
It is no secret the Red Devils are in the market for a new striker after missing out on Erling Braut Haaland in January tips free soccer.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is expected to be backed in the next window with Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho thought to be his top priority.
However, Woodward has secretly been working on a deal to take Martinez to Old Trafford, according to Spanish publication Marca.
Barcelona see the 22-year-old as the ideal long-term replacement for Luis Suarez and they want the apprentice to learn from the master before he retires.
But Inter value their star at more than �100million, which the Catalan side may not be able to cough up given recent blockbuster transfers.
Barcelona have spent heavily on the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho and Frenkie De Jong.
So they will likely have to offload some of their talent before they can spend heavily again.
Revenue streams have also been hit hard over the last couple of months while matches have been postponed because of the coronavirus.But United's own transfer situation has changed given they have also been without Premier League action.
Marca add that Real Madrid are also monitoring Martinez as a contingency plan if they fail to sign Kylian Mbappe or Haaland over the next few years.
Meanwhile, Brazil legend Rivaldo has warned Martinez that he may not get regular gametime if he moves to the Nou Camp.
"Barcelona seem to be keen to sign Lautaro Mart�nez and he is a great player that could fit in well at the club, especially as he is still young," Rivaldo wrote in his Betfair column.
"Luis Suarez, the player could replace in the long term, is not getting any younger but he probably has at least two or three more years at the highest level.
"The arrival of the promising Argentinian forward for around �100m would suggest that he is coming to be a starter, but unfortunately for him Suarez is still first choice up front and that might be a problem for Lautaro Series Soccer Tips.
"If Barcelona are thinking about the Suarez succession in advance then Mart�nez would be an excellent signing.
"Inter are asking for a big fee and, with the coronavirus crisis causing clubs financial damage, Barcelona need to evaluate the situation and decide if they have enough money to complete the transfer."