Chelsea have had an enquiry for Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella knocked back, according to Tuttomercatoweb.com.

The Italian website claim that sporting director Piero Ausilio and chief executive Beppe Marotta gave “a resounding no” when the Blues proposed a deal for the Italian international.

Barella was likely to have been considered as a potential alternative to Enzo Fernandez, with a deal for the Argentinian international still in the balance on deadline day. TMW also believe the sale of Jorginho to Arsenal played a role in Graham Potter’s side making the approach.

Inter are not in a great financial position, and there had been suggestions last summer that the Nerazzurri had placed a €90m (£79m) valuation on Barella, which would have made him a cheaper option for Chelsea.

However, the 25-year-old’s contract runs until 2026 and he is seen as an indispensable player by his club, who would reportedly prefer to sell other members of the first-team squad to balance the books.