Chelsea Newsnow: It’s possible that Lautaro Martinez may evaluate his situation and opt to quit Inter Milan in search of fresh opportunities. Calciomercatoweb reports that Chelsea is one of the clubs interested in luring the Nerazzurri with a part swap deal.
This has been an unremarkable year for club and country for Lautaro Martinez. The World Cup-winning striker was not particularly important to Argentina’s victory in Qatar. But he is starting to have more of an impact on Inter Milan down the stretch.
Inter Milan advanced to the semifinals of the Champions League thanks in large part to Martinez’s performance. He has his sights set on leading the Nerazzurri to the championship game. He expects to make his imprint in the next all-Milan semifinals. Beyond that, the Argentine’s future is uncertain, with Premier League teams showing interest.
There has been a persistent rumour that Martinez is aware of the interest from the Premier League. The World Cup-winning striker has been linked with a transfer to English clubs Arsenal and Tottenham for quite some time. Inter Milan’s asking price of €90-100 million may still be too much to cross the finish line.
Real Madrid are apparently interested in signing Martinez. They won’t be the only ones. In preparation for the next summer, Chelsea has set its eyes on the World Cup-winning striker. They are planning an audacious part-exchange deal for the Inter star.
Chelsea Newsnow: In the offseason, Chelsea plans to acquire Lautaro Martinez from Inter Milan in exchange for Romelu Lukaku and cash
Chelsea will go to the transfer market for a star player to fill the No. 9 position, which has been a concern for the club. There have been rumours that players like Victor Osimhen and Dusan Vlahovic may be on the move. But Martinez has caught the attention of the Blues.
The London club is prepared to provide Romelu Lukaku as a makeweight in exchange for another player. To get Inter to move Martinez, Chelsea may offer the 29-year-old Belgian additional cash. A trade including the player in the issue may be worth as much as €90–100 million.
Although he was acquired by Chelsea from Inter Milan for a then-record transfer fee, Lukaku failed to make an impact in his second stint with the club at Stamford Bridge. So, the 29-year-old was loaned out to the Nerazzurri right after his new owners took over. He accepted the offer without hesitation.
So, the imminent return of Lukaku poses a major concern for Chelsea this summer. The striker has three years remaining on a contract that pays him a fortune. The Blues are considering trading Joao Felix for the Belgian forward. And they know Inter Milan has no intention of retaining him.
Moreover, the Italian club Inter Milan did not like what they saw from the Belgian and have decided not to re-sign him. Chelsea may contemplate trading for Martinez if the Blues give a substantial sum of money in addition to Lukaku, with the proviso that the Belgian accept a significant wage reduction.
For the time being, rumours will continue to circulate regarding Martinez’s possible future move to the financially lucrative Premier League. While London, England, is where much of the interest is coming from, Spain is also a possibility.
