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Matheus Cunha an 'ideal' replacement for Lautaro Martinez at Inter

Hertha Berlin attacker Matheus Cunha

Hertha Berlin attacker Matheus Cunha would be the "ideal" replacement for Lautaro Martinez at Inter, says the Brazilian's former coach and ex-Nerazzurri defender Paolo Tramezzani.

Argentina international Martinez has flourished alongside Romelu Lukaku for Inter this season and has been heavily linked with a switch to LaLiga champions Barcelona, with reports last week claiming he had agreed a five-year deal at Camp Nou.

Cunha, who was nominated for the 2019 Puskas Award, only joined Hertha from RB Leipzig in January and has scored four goals in his seven appearances for the club.

Tramezzani handed Cunha his breakthrough in European football at Sion in 2017 and the Italian, who has returned for a second spell as the Swiss Super League side's coach, believes he has the attributes to be a success at San Siro.

"I think Barcelona have the financial power to lure Lautaro in and as far as I see big steps in this direction have already been made," Tramezzani told Stats Perform News.

"Among the many names to replace him at Inter I heard that of Matheus Cunha, a guy who made his debut with me at Sion and, especially this season, is doing so well in the Bundesliga.

"He is young, born in 1999, Brazilian. For how Antonio Conte plays with his 3-5-2, Cunha can play in different roles... first or second striker, winger. His skills would be ideal for Inter."

Tramezzani became convinced of Cunha's talents when he arrived for a trial at Sion while they were training in the Swiss Alps.

"Three years ago we went with Sion for altitude training at Crans-Montana," he explained.

"He [Cunha] had been scouted by our sporting director Marco Degennaro, who told me to keep an eye on this chap that just arrived and who had to stay with us a couple of days for some tests along with other foreign players.

"He landed in Geneva during the night, at about three or four in the morning, just a few hours before our training.

"My medical crew suggested to me to make him train aside from the main group for a couple of days. I talked to him and he told me he wanted to train hard, so I made him join the rest of the squad that had been training on power for a week now.

"I was impressed because he was the one topping the others in terms of running, ball exercises, tactics and games. He was the most brilliant.

"I was so impressed that after a couple of days I told the sporting director that for me the trial was over. 'Keep him', I said. And we played him right away in the Europa League. He was not even 18 and was a starter. He played a great season with 10 goals scored.

"Individually he has crazy skills. Left [foot], right, header, attacks the spaces, he loves to have space in front of him. Despite being the traditional Brazilian who is so good one-on-one, in dribbling, he always plays for the team, he tries to set up his team-mates, he defends and sacrifices himself when we don't have the ball.

"[He is] a golden boy. I am so happy because I know what he went through. He chased a dream that's coming true."

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