Lautaro Martinez will have to earn his place if he signs for Barca.

Reports continue to suggest Lautaro Martinez will swap the Serie A for LaLiga.

Lautaro Martinez one of the most sought-after forwards in European football. [Getty]

Forward Lautaro Martinez will have to fight for his spot at Barcelona if he decides to leave Serie A giants Inter Milan, says Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni.

The Argentine boss says Martinez should not expect to get his position at the Camp Nou on a silver platter.

Martinez has been constantly linked with the Blaugranas as reports suggest the Spanish giants see him as a long-term replacement for veteran striker Luis Suarez.

The Argentina international, who left Racing Club for Inter in 2018, had already scored 16 goals in 31 matches across all competitions before the 2019-20 Serie A campaign came to a standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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When questioned about the 22-year-old's future, Scaloni told Radio La Red: "If Lautaro gets to go to Barcelona, ​​I think the coach [Quique Setien] is going to look for a way to start him, he is going to have to sacrifice and earn his place."

"Taking Lautaro out of Inter is not going to be easy… I would like Lautaro Martinez to play, to have continuity."

The 42-year-old added: "Lautaro has one thing that he runs for him and for his team-mate. He will be the reference striker for the future."

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