‘Playing With Lionel Messi Won’t Be As Easy As It Seems,’ Barcelona's Ex-Player Warns Inter’s Latauro Martinez

Former striker Javier Saviola has warned fellow Argentinean Lautaro Martinez that it won’t be easy playing alongside Lionel Messi at FC Barcelona.

The Inter Milan forward, Martinez, is among Barcelona’s top two targets along with Neymar ahead of the summer transfer window. Fondly called as "The Bull", the 20-year-old striker has played alongside Messi with Argentina and has impressed the Barca skipper. Earlier, Messi praised the young Inter Milan player saying he is showing “he’s a great player” and that he hoped Martinez, who has scored nine international goals from 17 Argentina caps, would move to Barcelona.

Saviola, who played for Barcelona for six years from 2001 to 2007, scoring 70 goals in as many as 168 appearances, later on in his career also represented Barca’s arch-rival, Real Madrid, where his stint lasted for just two years. The Argentine recently discussed Martinez’s possible move to the Catalan side from Inter Milan where he explained it won’t be easy for the youngster to adjust to playing with some of the world’s best players.

“Honestly for me he is a player who can come in handy for Barcelona. We know what it means to be next to [Luis] Suarez, Messi and other great players. I am not saying that it is easy to play with them."

“Dybala said it was difficult with Messi and I supported him because it requires a high level of concentration, to be at his pace. It seems easy but it is not,” Saviola told Goal in an Instagram chat.

Saviola, who was a part of Argentina’s national team for seven years, explained further by giving Juventus star Paulo Dybala’s example, who had struggled to go in-sync with Messi when they both played together for La Albiceleste.

“Dybala said it was difficult with Messi and I supported him because it requires a high level of concentration, to be at his pace," said Saviola, who represented Barcelona between 2001 and 2007. It seems easy but it is not,” the 38-year-old added.