The main objective for Manchester United this summer is likely to be the acquisition of a new centre-forward player, as the Red Devils have recently been forced to rely on the disappointing pairing of Wout Weghorst and Anthony Martial.

The latter player, who has been plagued by injuries this season, seems destined to leave at the end of the campaign, while Weghorst, who joined in January, may not have contributed enough to earn a permanent contract given that the on-loan Burnley player has scored just twice in all competitions so far.

Harry Kane, the star striker for Tottenham Hotspur, is the obvious choice to ease United’s offensive woes. Sky Sports just recently reported that United would “absolutely explore a deal” to acquire the England captain, though the north London club is still adamant that the 29-year-old is not for sale.

That fact will undoubtedly lead to the Red Devils considering other candidates to possibly lead the attack next season. Lautaro Martinez, an Inter Milan striker, has recently been named as one such candidate for the position, with the Serie A club reportedly willing to sell the Argentine this summer, according to Football Insider.

The 25-year-old is reportedly viewed by manager Erik ten Hag as the “perfect forward.” The Old Trafford team is also not expected to be forced to pay above the odds for the 48-cap danger, with Inter reportedly valuing him at approximately £70 million.

What role might Lautaro Martinez play at Manchester United?

Most people can see that United needs a more dependable number nine to help lead the attack. The goal is undoubtedly to lessen the goal-scoring load on Marcus Rashford, who has scored 29 goals in all competitions so far this season.

The Englishman has only scored twice in his previous seven Premier League games, but before that, the £200k per week machine had, in the words of his boss, been “unstoppable” after the World Cup break, hitting ten goals in as many league games following his return from Qatar.

The academy graduate has occasionally played in a central position this season as a result of his excellent play, as well as the struggles of Martial and Weghorst, but it appears that the in-form star is most effective when playing on the left flank, as he previously stated as his preferred position.

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Rashford, who won the World Cup, would therefore be able to play in that wide berth after Martinez’s arrival while still being able to contribute ruthlessly and prolifically in a center-forward position.

The former Racing Club superstar, who has scored consistently in Italy in recent years—notably 95 goals in 228 appearances across all competitions—would surely be able to reduce the reliance on the current United talisman.

This includes a total of 21 goals in 47 games on all fronts this season, with the “shot monster” — as described by presenter Joe Thomlinson — being most potent in the Italian top division with 17 league goals so far.

Martinez may be able to work well with Rashford as part of a fluid front line as he spent much of his time at San Siro as part of a strike duo, memorably scoring 41 league goals in tandem with Romelu Lukaku en route to the title in 2020/21.

It is understandable why the Inter man is being considered as a potential alternative for Ten Hag and company given that the relatively young combo has the potential to succeed together at the Theatre of Dreams for years to come.