Antonio Conte could aid Chelsea as he 'will try to make deal happen' for £38m star
Chelsea have told Inter Milan to include midfielder Nicolo Barella in a swap deal if they want to sign on a permanent Romelu Lukaku deal.
According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, (h/t Daily Mail), the Blues have urged Inter to include the Italian midfielder in the swap deal, despite Barella’s intention to remain at San Siro.
Lukaku, who joined Chelsea in the 2021–22 season, was loaned back to Inter Milan after enduring a poor season at Stamford Bridge.
The Belgian forward has scored 14 goals for the Serie A giants and wants to remain at Inter, and even the club is keen on keeping him for another season.
However, Inter are fine with Lukaku continuing for another loan spell, but Chelsea want to sell him permanently. Chelsea could do well with the addition of Barella, who can be Mason Mount’s replacement if the England international leaves.
However, considering their rising salary bill and the fact that they spent a ton of money on their previous two transfer windows, the Blues must first get rid of several players in order to turn a profit.
Barella is one of Inter’s most crucial players, so it will be hard for them to include him in the trade. With his experience and ability to create chances and also defend—he has seven assists and six goals for Inter this season—Barella’s signing will be a huge boost for our midfield.
Having a box-to-box midfielder will be the icing on the cake, but there is a low chance that Inter will want to sell their best midfielder, that too for a striker who was not really a pinned starter alongside Lautaro Martinez.
That being said, they have to plan for life beyond the ageing Edin Dzeko. Hopefully, they value Lukaku to an extent where they are ready to part ways with arguably their best player. If the 26-year-old is open to an exit, then even better.
But no UEFA Champions League football will always make it tough to sign players of his ilk. Don’t be surprised if Inter flat-out refuse this proposition.
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