Legendary former Inter, Milan, Lazio, Parma, and Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo feels that the full talents of Nerazzurri striker Lautaro Martinez were not on display at the World Cup last month.
Speaking to Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport in an interview published in today’s print edition, via FCInterNews, the Argentine noted that Martinez had been playing through injury, and also praised Inter striker Edin Dzeko for continuing to be a top player.
Martinez had gone into the World Cup expected to be one of Argentina’s key players and a fixture in the Albiceleste starting eleven.
The fact that the Nerazzurri striker went the tournament without scoring or assisting a goal was therefore a disappointment, whilst he found himself displaced from the starting lineup by Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez.
For his part, however, Crespo has few doubts that Martinez has real quality, even if it was only glimpsed at the World Cup.
“Unfortunately, the real Lautaro wasn’t on display in Qatar, he wasn’t physically in great condition, but in my opinion he wasn’t bad, he simply fell behind Julian Alvarez who was extraordinary,” Crespo said of Martinez.
“I was a striker, I know how life goes,” he continued, “the ball didn’t want to go in in Qatar, and now he’s had three half-chances and three goals for Inter.”
Crespo also praised Inter striker Dzeko, stating that “I’ve always liked him as a player. ”
“He arrived at Inter as a replacement for Lukaku, but he always played his own style,” he said of Bosnian.
“Inzaghi has a lot of strength in depth in attack,” Crespo added, “just look at how when Lukaku is out he can call on a player like Dzeko.”
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