Chelsea have reportedly stepped up a pursuit of Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martínez.
The West Londoners want to bring in a top-tier centre-forward in the summer and have made Martinez a priority target. Chelsea have a long-standing interest in the Argentine, who has scored 171 goals in 370 games for Inter across all competitions.
He has climbed to joint-third among the club’s all-time leading scorers and is the highest-scoring overseas player in Inter’s history.
Chelsea are ready to test Inter’s resolve with an offer of around £86m including add-ons in the summer.
Martinez is contracted to Inter until 2029, though the Nerazzurri are contemplating a significant sale in the summer to fund a rebuild under Cristian Chivu. Nicolo Barella, Alessandro Bastoni and Marcus Thuram have also been linked with possible exits from the San Siro.
According to Topskill Sports, Chelsea want to bring in recognised elite talent to supplement their inexperienced squad. The West Londoners have the youngest squad in the Premier League by average age and have struggled for consistency this season. A defeat to Everton on Saturday was the club’s fourth straight loss in all competitions.
Chelsea are also prepared include Andrey Santos as part of the package to reduce Inter’s asking price, after the Italian side expressed interest in signing the midfielder.
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