Inter should do everything in their power to keep hold of Lautaro Martinez, their former coach Andrea Stramaccioni argued today.

Lautaro is being strongly linked with a move away from the Nerazzurri in the summer, with fresh reports on Friday suggesting Real Madrid were preparing a €90 million offer.

Inter are expected to sacrifice a key player in the transfer window in a bid to balance the books, but it seems Stramaccioni would advise them to pick someone else.

“As a coach, I’d say you either have to find someone who can replace him or you have to do everything not to lose him,” Stramaccioni, who coached Inter during the 2012-13 season, told Sky Sport Italia.

“The two strikers are critical in Conte’s system for the way he wants to play.”

Lautaro’s strike partner Romelu Lukaku is potentially even more important to Antonio Conte’s system and Stramaccioni was full of praise for the Belgian’s season.

“He’s an atypical player, powerful and quick who loves running in behind but also linking up with his teammates,” he explained.

“It wouldn’t be easy to find another player who could adapt to playing with Lukaku, but if I’ve just won the Scudetto I would never touch that strike partnership (Lukaku and Lautaro).

“Whenever people think about Inter around the world they think of Lukaku and Conte now; Lukaku is more famous than most players now.”

Inter visit Juventus tomorrow in their fourth and final Derby d’Italia of the season, and Stramaccioni expects Conte to be fully motivated for the match against his former club.

“It’s the ideal game for Inter and Conte will be out for revenge,” Inter’s former boss suggested.

“I challenge anyone to say they expected to find Inter in this position with two games left, in charge of determining Juventus’ hopes of UEFA Champions League qualification.

“Let’s remember that Inter’s last setback of the season was their Coppa Italia semi-final elimination in Turin; from that moment Inter were destined to win the Scudetto.”

Asked if Inter were already comparable to the Juventus side which dominated Serie A for nine years, Stramaccioni admitted: “I have Inter in my heart so I hope they can become like that team, but they’re not there yet.

“They’ve put the first piece of the puzzle in place with the Scudetto, and that needs to be a launchpad for the fans who’ve suffered so much in the last decade.

“I think Conte and Inter have laid the foundations for an important period of success, but that Juventus team was a machine and they made more progress in Europe (than Inter have so far).”

Stramaccioni also analysed the job Conte had done at Inter and highlighted one particular aspect of his work which he believed was crucial.

“The most important thing Conte has done is to create a philosophy,” he argued.

“Inter have clear ideas about their sporting project now, whereas beforehand they might have been uncertain.

“There’s a clear identity now, but their big question mark is their form in Europe where Inter haven’t managed to replicate their success in Italy.”

Stramaccioni then picked out one key moment in Inter’s march to the Serie A title, before reserving praise for the much-maligned Samir Handanovic.

“The key match was the win against Atalanta (on March 8),” he added.

“Inter withstood pressure in that match but Atalanta could have played on for three days and they wouldn’t have scored.

“The team has become a winning side since the defence became impenetrable, although Samir Handanovic is important as well.

“He’s Inter’s first play-maker and I think he plays a crucial role in the team, for how modern football has evolved.”