Chelsea might look to sign 27-year-old Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez in an audacious exchange deal involving an out-of-favour trio next year.
According to a report by Italian outlet Inter Live, Lautaro Martinez remains the subject of interest from Chelsea. Inter Milan will demand around €100 million to part ways with the 27-year-old striker next year. However, the West London club will look to circumvent the asking price by offering an audacious exchange deal involving Benoit Badiashile, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Mykhailo Mudryk.
The rise and rise of Lautaro Martinez
Lautaro Martinez has been one of the best players in the world since joining Inter Milan from Racing Club in July 2018. The South American attacker took some time to find his footing at San Siro but has not looked back since a partnership with Romelu Lukaku sparked his evolution.
The 27-year-old has become a well-rounded striker, regularly contributing to goals by finding the back of the net and providing many assists. Martinez has also become the club captain at Inter Milan, taking over from Samir Handanovic at the onset of the 2023/24 season.
However, after leading the Nerazzurri to the Serie A title last season, the Argentine international has been slow off the blocks this term, as he has yet to score a goal in two outings thus far. Nevertheless, Lautaro Martinez’s stock in the market remains high, with Chelse among his prospective suitors for the 2025 summer transfer window.
London calling?
Chelsea’s interest in Lautaro Martinez is understandable. The Blues were keen on signing a world-class striker in the summer transfer window to complete their offensive department, with Victor Osimhen their priority target. However, a move did not materialise, with Chelsea failing to find a common ground with Napoli and the Nigerian international.
While Osimhen remains on Chelsea’s radar, Martinez has emerged as a viable alternative. However, Inter Milan’s asking price of €100 million poses a problem for the West London club. So, they want to circumvent that issue by offering an audacious exchange involving an out-of-favour trio.
Chelsea might look to bring Martinez to Stamford Bridge by offering Benoit Badiashile, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Mykhailo Mudryk. The West London outfit attempted to offload Badiashile and Chukwuemeka in the summer transfer window, while Mudryk might be on borrowed time at the club. However, it is unclear if Inter Milan will accept such an arrangement to sell Martinez to Chelsea.
