Lautaro Martinez Just Made England Cry. Has He Been Underrated This Whole Time?

The World Cup semifinal was winding down. England thought they had extra time coming. Then Lautaro Martinez did what he has done for years at Inter Milan — he showed up in the moment that mattered most and buried a late winner that sent Argentina to the final and sent an entire nation home in tears.

And for a lot of casual fans outside Italy, that was the first time they really paid attention.

That’s the thing about Lautaro. Inter supporters have spent years yelling about how good he is. But it took a knockout goal against England on the biggest stage for the rest of the football world to finally put some respect on his name. The guy is the captain of Argentina. He leads the line for one of Europe’s most consistent clubs. And somehow he still gets talked about like he’s just the hard-working sidekick in a two-striker system.

The latest episode of the Football Italia Summer Show spent real time breaking down why that narrative is wrong. Lorenzo Bettoni and Wayne Girard made the case that Martinez belongs in the conversation for the most underrated strikers of the last decade. Not just underrated in the moment, but the kind of player people will look back on in ten years and wonder why he didn’t get more shine while he was doing it.

Premier League clubs are circling Serie A again

The show also got into the transfer rumor mill, which is predictably chaotic this summer. Manu Koné’s name keeps popping up around Manchester United, and there’s a plausible price tag floating around that has people paying attention. Nothing is finalized, but the numbers being discussed suggest United is serious about adding midfield depth.

Leeds United, meanwhile, is raiding Serie A hard. They’ve got their eye on multiple players from the Italian top flight, which isn’t surprising given how many American-owned clubs are now treating the league like a shopping mall. Leeds has made it clear they want to build a project, and they see Italy as a market where they can find value without getting into bidding wars with the mega-clubs.

And then there’s Nicolò Zaniolo, whose situation keeps taking new turns. Every time it seems like his next move is settled, something shifts. The show covered the latest wrinkles there too.

The full episode is worth a watch if you’re tracking any of these stories. But the main takeaway from the conversation about Lautaro is pretty straightforward: the guy has been elite for years, and if you’re just now realizing it, you’re late to the party.