Chelsea have requested a swap deal with Inter Milan that would see Nicolo Barella switch with Romelu Lukaku in the summer transfer window. The Blues have held a meeting with the Nerazzurri in the past week, football.london understands, which discussed a range of players.
Kalidou Koulibaly, Trevoh Chalobah, Andre Onana and Lukaku were on the agenda as the two teams look to get their own business done. The latter joined the Blues from Inter two years ago for a huge fee nearing £100million, but they haven't quite seen a return on that investment.
While the Belgian international started well, a mixture of injuries hampered his playing time, while the relationship with fans deteriorated after an interview aired where he claimed that a move back to his former club would be on the cards in the future. Following a second half of the campaign that had its struggles, Chelsea looked to find a way to move the striker on.
A loan move back to the San Siro was the solution that was settled upon, where the 30-year-old scored ten goals in 25 Serie A appearances. An Italian Super Cup, Italian Cup and Champions League final capped off the campaign for Lukaku, but there are questions over what's next.
There is uncertainty surrounding whether the forward will be part of Mauricio Pochettino's plans going forward, with a potential exit on the cards. Given the investment from the west London club, it may be tough to find a suitor, though discussions with Inter may move it closer.
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According to Corriere dello Sport, Chelsea offered a potential swap deal that would see Barella move to Stamford Bridge and Lukaku going to the San Siro. The Italian midfielder has been heavily linked with a switch to Newcastle this summer in a £50million deal as Inter try and combat financial difficulties.
The report claims that the Blues weren't turned down on the offer, though it wasn't accepted and will instead be postponed to a different meeting. It remains to be seen whether the deal could go through, which would provide a permanent end to the Lukaku situation, while boosting the midfield ranks.
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