Chelsea 'would have interest' in £102m Argentine at Stamford Bridge | OneFootball

Chelsea have been offered players by Inter Milan as the Italian giants look to re-sign Romelu Lukaku, according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown.

However, Brown cannot see a swap deal happening, as the west London club are likely to only be interested in Lautaro Martinez, who may not be available this summer.

What is the latest news involving Lukaku?

Despite only moving to Stamford Bridge last year in a massive £97.5m deal, Lukaku looks set for a return to Inter.

As per BBC Sport, the Serie A side are hopeful of re-signing their former striker, who is keen on a switch back to San Siro.

The 2021/22 campaign was one to forget for Lukaku, with the Belgian only managing to find the back of the net eight times in the Premier League.

In total, he scored 15 goals in all competitions, which is not the worst tally, but it was still a disappointing season given the expectations that came with his arrival.

Romelu Lukaku WON’T be at Chelsea next season! Hear more on The Football Terrace…

What has Brown said about Chelsea and Lukaku?

Brown has told GIVEMESPORT that Inter have been offering players to Chelsea, but the Blues would only be interested in taking their talisman Martinez.

Speaking to GMS, the Daily Star journalist said: “Inter have definitely been offering players to Chelsea to try and smooth this out and bring down any money they have to pay for him, but my understanding is that Chelsea are not terribly keen on anyone at Inter.

“I think they would have an interest in Lautaro Martinez, but he’s someone who just doesn’t seem to be available in this window at the moment, so I think some kind of part exchange or swap is probably unlikely unless that changes.”

Would Chelsea fans welcome a Lukaku-Martinez swap?

Most Chelsea fans probably would considering Lukaku’s desire to leave and Martinez’s exploits these last couple of seasons.

The £102m-rated Argentine was excellent last term, scoring 21 goals in 35 league outings, bettering his record of 17 in 38 the campaign prior.

Over the last year, Martinez has also ranked in the 94th percentile for touches in the penalty area and the 99th for interceptions among forwards (via FBref), so while he loves to get into the box, this is an attacker who is also willing to try and get the ball back when his team are out of possession.

Does the above make him a better fit for Thomas Tuchel than Lukaku? It is anyone’s guess, though some may have their doubts about him in general having watched his former team-mate struggle to transfer his Serie A form over to the Premier League.