Serie A striker keen to join Chelsea

Mauricio Pochettino’s first game in charge of Chelsea will see the Blues welcome Liverpool to Stamford Bridge at the start of the new season.

The Argentine faces a tough test against the Reds in his first match in August, before a visit to West Ham United the following week.

Former Tottenham Hotspur man Pochettino will be very busy between now and then, though, as he looks to fine tune his squad ahead of the new campaign.

Chelsea have signed 15 new players in the past year, leaving the new boss with an inflated squad.

The west London outfit will therefore likely sell a number of players in the coming weeks, to allow Pochettino to bring in some of his own new signings.

With that in mind, the Blues could reportedly complete a sensational move for a Serie A star.

As per Football Insider, Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez is keen on the idea of a move to SW6.

The report claims that the 25-year-old is being monitored by both Chelsea and Manchester United, and would be open to the idea of a move to the Premier League this summer.

Martinez started against Manchester City in the Champions League final on Saturday

Martinez joined Inter from Argentinian side Racing Club back in 2018 and has since made 238 appearances for his current club across all competitions, scoring 102 goals and providing 36 assists.

Chelsea are set to be in the market for a new striker this summer following a dismal campaign in front of goal.

The Blues scored just 38 league goals this term as they recorded their lowest league finish in three decades.

Striker Romelu Lukaku is still on loan at Inter from Chelsea, but the Belgian faces an uncertain future with the Italian side unlikely to make an effort to keep hold of him beyond this month.

The report claims that Inter are keen to move players on during the current window and would therefore be willing to sell Martinez, who helped Argentina to win the World Cup in December, for around £60 million.

At present the player is contracted to his current club until 2026, but Pochettino is said to be very keen to add him to his squad and Inter are unlikely to stand in his way if a suitable offer is made.