Chelsea have asked Inter Milan for a straight swap between Romelu Lukaku and Nicolo Barella, according to reports in the Italian media.
With the Blues valuing Lukaku at €70m (£60m), they felt that a potential exchange for Barella was a fair request, although Inter have rejected the suggestion out of hand. Fans on Twitter would be delighted if Barella was to make the move to Stamford Bridge this summer:
That's a brilliant request
— D E S M O N D (PhD) (@Dcube06871398) June 17, 2023
I would take that 100%.
— Aegon (@RobertPet73) June 17, 2023
That would be an incredible transfer
— Gold (@Gold227303) June 17, 2023
Now we are talking
— Mildred (@Mild_Kerr) June 17, 2023
The board is moving crazy and I love it..
— Segun Of Calabar💭 (@symply_epic) June 17, 2023
Best deal
Barella is a good player— Olaoluwa (@olamih__) June 17, 2023
Man I wish this was True, and if it is I am on my knees, Chelsea please make it happen.
— Buena Onda (@CFCOndaBuena) June 17, 2023
Barella has been linked with a number of Premier League teams in recent weeks
Although Inter did reject the Blues’ proposal for Barella, it is believed that the Nerazzurri may be open to selling him for the right price.
However, If Chelsea do step up their plans to snap up Barella, they may face competition from other English teams.
Last week, it was reported that Newcastle were lining up a £50m offer for the Italian international, while Liverpool are also known to be keen admirers of the midfielder.
There are doubts about whether Barella would be prepared to leave Italy
It is, though, important to point out that, even if Inter were to accept an offer for Barella, there are no guarantees that the player would be willing to move clubs.
The Italian is said to have a strong loyalty to Inter and there are big question marks over whether he would make the switch to the Premier League.
It is certainly a transfer to keep an eye on, as Chelsea are definitely interested in Barella, but supporters should probably keep their expectations in check about a potential move.
