Chelsea’s hunt for a striker to compete with Tammy Abraham was a hot topic during the recent transfer window. One name that wasn’t mentioned amongst an array names was Lautaro Martinez.
The Argentine striker has been in fine form this season, scoring 17-goals, in 26-appearances. The 22-year-old is in second season in Serie A, having moved from his homeland for a fee of around £20m in 2018.
Italian source Caciomercato expect Barcelona to head the queue for his signature, with a host of other clubs likely to vie for his signature.
However, the report suggests Chelsea may have a trump card up their sleeve. Inter have shown interest in Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri. Neither appear to have a long-term future at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues expected to bid for the likes of Ben Chilwell during the summer.
Chelsea look likely to spend big this summer, as Frank Lampard looks to build a squad capable of competing for the premier league title next season.
The Evening Standard claimed earlier this week that at least £150m will be invested in the squad. Jadon Sancho, and Moussa Dembele remain top targets, as well as Kepa Arrizabalaga being replaced. Signing Martinez outright would take up a sizable part of that budget, with the report claiming a £100m release clause is in place.
However, letting either left-back go in the opposite direction would soften the financial burden. Even so it’s unlikely either would trim more than £30m from the price.
If the Blues could pull off a deal it wouldn’t be the first time Chelsea have signed an Argentine striker from Inter Milan – If he’s half as good as Hernan Crespo, Chelsea would have an excellent signing with years on his side.