Argentine legend Javier Zanetti has predicted a bright future ahead for Lautaro Martinez, who has recently become a regular feature with the national team. The 21-year-old was a regular starter for the nation during the recent Copa America tournament where he contributed two goals from four appearances.

In a report covered by ESPN, Zanetti said that he was impressed with the performances of Martinez at the Copa America and believes the 21-year-old could evolve into a crucial figure for the country in years to come, he told: “I liked the Copa America that Lautaro had. Let’s not forget that he’s still only 21 years old and we are talking about an Argentina future which involves Lautaro and other kids who did really well. We get the feeling that we have a positive future.”

Former Argentina boss Jorge Sampaoli went with experience for the 2018 World Cup and that did not work out with Gonzalo Higuain struggling to provide the cutting edge upfront. Since the global tournament, the South American nation have been managed by Lionel Scaloni and the 41-year-old has preferred to go with youth and experience in the team at the same time.

Martinez recently completed his first full season with Inter Milan at the club level where he bagged just nine goals across all competitions. Despite this, he has been highly regarded among the Nerazzurri coaches and reports have emerged that he could secure more gametime with manager Antonio Conte expected to sanction the sale of Mauro Icardi this summer.

Still, he can’t afford to rest on the laurels, given the Nerazzurri may yet pursue another marksman to the ranks. Romelu Lukaku from Manchester United have been associated with the club over the past few weeks but so far, there has been no breakthrough in terms of the transfer package with the Red Devils.