Chelsea tipped to offer trio of stars as bait for Serie A giants in swap for lethal finisher

Chelsea are reportedly considering an audacious deal involving an out-of-favour trio in exchange to sign Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez in 2025.

Having been on Chelsea’s radar for some time, among numerous other Premier League clubs, Martinez remains one of the top forwards in European football after moving to Inter from Racing Club back in 2018.

The 27-year-old has become a lethal finisher in Italy and Inter Live reports that the Serie A giants will demand around €100million (£84m, $110m) to part ways with the Argentine in 2025.

However, the report adds that Chelsea will look to circumvent the asking price by offering an exchange deal involving Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile and Carney Chukwuemeka.

Enzo Maresca attempted to offload Badiashile and Chukwuemeka in the summer transfer window, while Mudryk is reported to be on borrowed time at Stamford Bridge despite his £89m transfer fee hanging over the club.

Inter Live does not, however, break down the values of each Chelsea player referenced in the swap proposal or whether it’s one of the three or all three in the exchange for Martinez.

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Martinez the lethal finisher Chelsea needs

One thing is for sure, if Chelsea do sign Martinez he is one of the more clinical frontmen playing his trade in the top European leagues.

The attacker, who took over as Inter skipper from Samir Handanovic at the start of the 2023/24 season, led his side to Serie A glory last term and his stock remains very much on the rise.

Indeed, Martinez has notched 129 goals in 284 games in all competitions for Inter, featuring either as a No.9 or a No.10 – such is his versatility.

And while he has yet to find the net this season, the fact that Chelsea actively pursued a new top-class striker all summer long without success suggests that they will try and address that situation again either in January or, more likely, next summer.

Victor Osimhen was the name on everyone’s lips when it came to the Blues during the summer transfer window, but Chelsea could not find a common ground with the player over a move and he is now at Galatasaray on loan.

And while Osimhen remains on their radar, it appears that Martinez has emerged as a viable alternative.

Chelsea already lining up January deals

While signing a new striker remains a major focus for Chelsea, Maresca also wants to improve other areas of his squad and left-back is a position of need.

The Blues boss still wants Ben Chilwell gone long-term, which leaves Marc Cucurella as the club’s main left-back and Levi Colwill and Renato Veiga as players that can fill in.

However, TT can reveal what the new demands for Lecce target Patrick Dorgu are, as well as the competition the Blues may face for him.

Meanwhile, Maresca has also has reportedly brutally frozen out midfielder Cesare Casadei.

Casadei is yet to play this season, and according to a fresh report, he is the latest ‘to be frozen out’ and added to the list of unwanted players deemed ‘the bomb squad’.

Martinez the missing Chelsea link?

Meanwhile, if Chelsea were able to get Martinez on board it will be interesting to see how they fit him in.

The Argentina international was arguably at his best when playing alongside a bigger central striker, as was the case when Romelu Lukaku was with him at Inter.

His ability to drop into pockets of space and create and major strengths of his game, although he could end up entering Cole Palmer’s domain there.

The fact that Nicholas Jackson recently signed a new deal until 2033 means the Blues are not ready to move on from the frontman for some time and that Maresca could be looking at a system that involves having two No.10s operating behind a No.9 – given his preference for possession-based football.

It just remains to be seen whether Inter will take the bait offered up by Chelsea in the form of the three Blue stars reportedly offered in the exchange deal.

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