In recent days, Chelsea have once again been linked with Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez.
While they have never made a move for him, Martinez is thought to have been on Chelsea’s radar for years.
The Blues already have a deadly South American forward in Joao Pedro, who is close to scoring 20 goals this season. However, it looks as though they would welcome another one.
How many Premier League goals will Joao Pedro finish the season with? ⚽️
His hat-trick at Villa Park takes him to 14!
Chelsea's Brazilian striker #20 Joao Pedro scores
Photo by Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images
Chelsea willing to pay £86m to sign Lautaro Martinez
According to Argentine outlet La Nacion, Chelsea have Martinez in their sights ahead of the summer transfer window.
Their report states that the Club World Cup winners are prepared to pay €100m (£86.4m) for the 28-year-old, which is a massive amount of money.
Martinez, though, is considered as one of the best forwards in European football.
Last season, the Argentine scored 24 goals in 53 appearances as he helped Inter to reach the Champions League final. He scored nine goals in Europe’s elite competition but could do little in the final against PSG, who went on to win that game 5-0.
Martinez is not the only Argentina international who has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. It has been reported that Chelsea are also keen on Julian Alvarez.
What’s the most you’d be willing to spend on Lautaro Martinez? 💸
Lautaro Martinez's potential transfer fee
Photo by Andrea Rosito/NurPhoto via Getty Images
How Lautaro Martinez and Joao Pedro compare
With the form he is in right now, Chelsea fans would probably not swap Pedro for anyone in the world!
Again, Martinez is one of the top forwards in football, but his stats are quite similar to Pedro’s this season.
For example, Martinez has scored 14 goals in 25 league games, while Pedro has netted 14 in 29.
Their xG totals are also virtually identical. Martinez currently has an xG of 13.36 in Serie A, according to WhoScored, while Pedro has an xG of 13.74 in the Premier League.
Not too many teams would turn down the opportunity to sign Martinez, but you suspect that a centre-forward is not going to be a priority for Chelsea this summer following Pedro’s success.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox