Chelsea in the running to sign Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez
According to transfer news from Spanish publication Fichajes (h/t Manchester Evening News), Chelsea are one among a host of top clubs in Europe vying for the signing of Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez.
The Argentine international has been with Inter Milan since 2018, and over the past two seasons, has grown into one of the top marksmen in Serie A, playing a key role in the Nerazzurri’s ascent to the top. Martinez has formed a deadly strike partnership with ex-Chelsea man Romelu Lukaku, helping Inter to their first Serie A title in over a decade last season.
However, with the Italian champions mired in financial problems, Martinez could be shipped off in order to balance the books and raise some funds, as per the report. The Nerazzurri are likely to demand a fee of €70m for their star forward and it seems like there is a plethora of clubs wanting to sign him.
Indeed, the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City have all been alerted to the possibility and are now in the running for his signing, as are Chelsea. (h/t MEN)
It is no secret at this point that Chelsea are in the market for reinforcements in the centre-forward role and rightly so, considering that Olivier Giroud has left the club and Tammy Abraham has been out of favour under Thomas Tuchel. Such a scenario leaves the Blues with just a misfiring Timo Werner as an option upfront.
Martinez, 23, scored 19 goals and set up 11 more for his teammates in the 2020/21 season. Furthermore, his €70m valuation stands at half of what Borussia Dortmund are demanding for Erling Haaland (£150m).
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Given that El Toro is available and may cost much lesser than Haaland, it is perhaps a move worth considering for Chelsea this summer.