5 players who could replace Lionel Messi at Barcelona

#3 Lautaro Martinez | Inter Milan

Lautaro Martinez reacts after scoring for Argentina

Long linked with a move to Barcelona, Lautaro Martinez is once again dominating transfer headlines, with Arsenal said to be interested.

Martinez is one of the best young strikers in world football, and has been excellent for Inter Milan. The Argentina international joined the Serie A giants from Racing Club in 2018, and has made 132 appearances in all competitions for the club. In this time, Martinez has scored 49 goals and provided 20 assists.

How many goals would Lautaro Martinez score in the Premier League this season? 👀 pic.twitter.com/wPJAgm6kGz

— Goal (@goal) August 1, 2021

The 23-year old was linked with Barcelona last summer, but stayed on to play an important role in Inter Milan's Serie A success last season. Martinez has now been linked with Arsenal in recent days. It remains to be seen whether Barcelona will have the finances to sign Martinez from the Nerazzurri as he will not come cheap.

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#2 Harry Kane | Tottenham Hotspur

Harry Kane with his Best Playmaker award from the 2020-21 Premier League season

Now that Lionel Messi is a free agent, he has once again been linked with a move to Manchester City, managed by his ex-Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola.

Manchester City are in the market for a striker and Harry Kane has been their preferred target for a long time now. Kane wants to join Manchester City as well, but it would be highly understandable if the Cityzens decide to make a move for Messi on a free transfer.

Will Tottenham fans ever forgive Harry Kane if he leaves for Man City? 😟 pic.twitter.com/Bha2s4Xs69

— Goal (@goal) August 5, 2021

All this leaves Kane in the lurch. The England international has made it clear he wants to leave Tottenham Hotspur, but Spurs will demand a nine-figure transfer fee for their talisman. The 28-year old is one of the best strikers in the world and one of the very few players who can come close to matching Lionel Messi's standards. If Barcelona choose to sign him, he could prove to be an extremely valuable asset and the goalscoring forward they sorely need in attack.

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#1 Erling Haaland | Borussia Dortmund

Erling Haaland after winning the 2020-21 DFB Pokal

Erling Braut Haaland is the best young striker in world football, and one of the best forwards in the world at the moment.

Borussia Dortmund know the value of their star player. The Norway international has been the Bundesliga giants' best player since joining the club in January 2020. Haaland has since made 59 appearances in all competitions, scoring 57 goals and providing 15 assists.

The Norway international is a bonafide superstar. Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are seen by many as heirs to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's throne. With Mbappe looking certain to join Real Madrid some time in the future, Haaland could be Barcelona's headline future signing.

However, like Martinez and Kane, Barcelona will have to pay an eye-watering amount of money to sign him. The Catalan club's precarious financial situation has been well-documented and will be a major hurdle if they choose to go after Haaland.

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