‘Why would you?’: Pundit can’t understand why £60m star would join Spurs

Follow us on Google Discover

Spurs have agreed a fee with Inter Milan for Lautaro Martinez but Danny Murphy can’t see why the Serie A winner would want to join the Premier League club, speaking to talkSPORT (9 August, 10.40am).

Right now, you’d struggle to find many in N17 who’d disagree with Murphy’s assessment.

Inter may be about to lose Romelu Lukaku, following on from the departures of Achraf Hakimi and Antonio Conte, but the Nerazzurri are still the Scudetto holders, and a Champions League side to boot.

Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, will face little-known Portuguese side Pacos de Ferreira or Northern Irish outfit Larne in qualification for the UEFA Conference League.

Captain and home-grown hero Harry Kane, meanwhile, seems desperate to leave, feeling a side that almost conquered Europe two years ago is hurtling in the wrong direction.

Inter’s reign at the top of Italian football may be over pretty quickly but at least they reached the summit in the first place – which is more than can be said for Spurs.

Will Lautaro Martinez turn down Spurs to stay at Inter?

Tottenham agreed a £60 million fee with cash-strapped Inter for Martinez recently, according to The Times.

His agent, however, has now made it clear the Argentina international would prefer to stay at the San Siro (Calciomercato).

And such claims haven’t taken Murphy by surprise.

• BOOOO!: Reported Tottenham target booed by own fans during 3-0 win

“You’re talking about options. If you’re a player who’s just won the title at Inter Milan and you’re going be playing Champions League, why would you join a team who look unlikely to even be pushing for a Champions League place?” says the former Spurs midfielder.

Murphy, however, does agree Martinez would be a good signing for Spurs.

He said: “(Martinez) is very different to Kane, more low centre of gravity, good technique, good skill, could even play as a 10. He plays with hunger and pace. They’d like him, the fans.

“No disrespect to Spurs but I think he’ll have other options.”

With Sky Sports reporting Chelsea have agreed a staggering £97.5 million fee for the oft-unstoppable Lukaku, it’s hard to imagine Inter selling both of their lethal strike force in the same month, financial problems or not.