According to The Athletic, Chelsea are now interested in signing Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez, who has also been linked with Tottenham.
Martinez has enjoyed another prolific season in Serie A, scoring 21 times and providing three assists (TransferMarkt) as his Inter Milan side just missed out on a second consecutive Scudetto to rivals AC Milan (Sky Sports).
Antonio Conte reportedly wanted to reunite with The Argentinian in N17, after the pair enjoyed a successful season in 2020/21 that saw Inter lift their first Serie A title since 2010 (Il Bianconero).
Spurs’ interest in Martinez didn’t just start when Conte was appointed. The Times reported that the Lilywhites agreed a fee worth £60 million to sign the striker last summer. However, this eventually fell through as Inter decided to sell Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea instead.
Thomas Tuchel is now said to want Lukaku and Martinez to combine up front once again, this time in the blue of Chelsea.
With Sky Sports reporting that Todd Boehly’s consortium has now completed a £4.25 billion takeover of the Blues, signing a player of Martinez’ quality would be a huge statement for the new owners.
The 24-year-old has reportedly turned down a move to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal due to the fact that the club will not be competing in the Champions League next season (The Times).
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Romelu Lukaku has endured a very disappointing year at Chelsea. However, if Chelsea are able to unlock him by bringing Martinez through the door this summer, Tuchel’s side could be a real problem for Premier League defences next season.
It is unlikely that Spurs are still in the chase for Martinez’ signature, despite his obvious connections to Conte. However, with the Italian wanting to add another striker to his squad to support and back-up Harry Kane, nothing should be ruled out just yet (Football.London).
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