Former Argentina icon Mario Kempes insists Inter Milan captain Latuaro Martinez is at the same level as Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

During an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, as reported by FCInterNews, Kempes discussed Martinez’s rise to stardom.

“Someone like me, who lived to score, watches football and ‘measures’ strikers in a certain way,” the 70-year-old said.

Despite the 2024 Copa America winner’s slow start to the 2024/25 Serie A season, Kempes believes he’ll soon break his scoring duck.

“Lautaro really has the goal in his DNA, he feels it inside.

“This is the characteristic that belongs only to true center forwards.

“So we shouldn’t be scared if he hasn’t scored yet in the new Serie A: it’s only a matter of time, he has shown that he knows how to insist in moments when the ball doesn’t go in.

“Those happen to everyone. And when it unlocks, maybe it won’t stop.

“We just have to understand the moment, Lautaro must have time to get back in shape because he had a lot to do during the summer.”

Mario Kempes Puts Inter Milan Ace Lautaro Martinez On Par With Kylian Mbappe & Erling Haaland

Asked whether Lautaro Martinez is at the same level as Mbappe and Haaland, Kempes replied: “Of course, he is right there.

“Of ‘9’ like this you find few, he is at the table of the best. And it’s nice that he has chosen to bond with his team, you can see that Milan is home for him. 

“Feeling happy in a place makes all the difference in the world. You don’t decide which team to play for just for the money, it’s always the heart that commands in some way.

“Then when he is over 30 and has won other titles as captain, maybe Lautaro will be able to gain experience elsewhere. But why change now?” Kempes stated.

Kempes talked about Tomas Palacios’ arrival, confessing he didn’t know who he was before joining Inter.

“I had to google him.

“It is often difficult to know certain players outside the big Argentine clubs. But the fact that a top club like Inter has decided to go and get him from Independiente Rivadavia makes me think that the boy has numbers.”

On the other hand, Kempes isn’t sure whether Inter are the Scudetto favorites due to a lack of knowledge.

“I can’t say for sure, I don’t have the right knowledge of Italian teams. Of course, even seeing the Champions League in recent years, Inter is one of the most interesting teams in Europe. 

“They have an attack that I particularly like, and not only because Lautaro is there.”

Kempes likes the partnership between Marcus Thuram and Martinez.

“For a striker, it is crucial to find a teammate who understands you on the pitch and reads your movements. Someone with whom you can play the ball and share spaces.

“It seems to me that Thuram and Lauti get along quite well.”

Inter signed Mehdi Taremi at the start of the summer. In addition, they have out-of-sorts Joaquin Correa.

Kempes thinks his compatriot could be an ace up Inzaghi’s sleeve if he rediscovers his old form.

“They took Taremi who has experience in the Champions League. We don’t know, then, if Correa will return to the old levels.

“They all come from different places in the world, but football speaks only one language.”