The agent of Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez has revealed he has held talks with Chelsea about the Argentinian international.
Although no formal bid has been made yet, Alberto Yaque has said he has been in contact with the Blues, along with Manchester City, Barcelona and Real Madrid:
“The truth is that apart from Barcelona, I received calls from Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City. There is nothing official at the moment because Lautaro is very good at Inter.”
While Martinez is said to be happy to stay at Inter, the 22-year-old’s €111m (£97.5m) release clause means he is vulnerable to a bid from interested clubs when the transfer window reopens.
Whether Chelsea would have the funds to trigger the clause, though, it remains to be seen. Manager Frank Lampard has already declared his intentions by making an early move for Ajax’s Hakim Ziyech back in February.
The Blues boss looks keen to strengthen his squad ahead of next campaign, but a bid for Martinez would take a sizeable chunk out of the club’s transfer budget.
Chelsea are said to be looking for a new number nine in the summer but the Inter forward could be out of their price range.