Chelsea ‘could’ price out Barcelona for Lautaro Martinez with €10m in wages, €111m in fees — reports

Lautaro Martinez is one of the hottest and most wanted strikers in world football at the moment. Under Antonio Conte, the 22-year-old has managed to score 16 goals and provide 4 assists in 31 matches this season, and this has definitely made all the other big clubs take notice.

Chelsea were already reported to have an interest last month, and according to Barcelona-based Diario Sport, the Blues could offer wages as high as €10m net per season, while also triggering the €111m release clause — which apparently expires at the end of the season.

According to the report, Inter will not be to match this offer and will be resigned to losing the player should he push for a move. And while Manchester City could match the offer, they can’t offer Champions League football, which puts them at a disadvantage.

However, Lautaro’s preference apparently remains Barcelona, even if he has to do so on lower wages.

Along similar lines, Sport Mediaset (via Inside Football) are reporting that Inter are in no hurry to sit down with the player since he will still have three years left on his contract after this season. Inter will want to do so once the release clause expires at the end of June however (ed.note: would that deadline by extended alongside the transfer window itself?).

Meanwhile, Marca claim that Real Madrid and Manchester City are both out of contention for Martinez’s signature.

Real Madrid will apparently focus their efforts on signing Borussia Dortmund’s phenomenal Erling Braut Håland, while Pep Guardiola’s side are happy enough with their current options of Sergio Agüero and Gabriel Jesus.