Chelsea have enquired about the possibility of swapping Romelu Lukaku for Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar, The Daily Mail reports.
The Blues are expected to bolster their central defensive department this summer after confirming the free transfer exits of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
They have been heavily linked with Sevilla’s Jules Kounde in recent weeks, but a move could be doubtful following his recent surgery for a pelvic problem.
According to The Daily Mail, the Blues have now enquired about the possibility of signing Skriniar in a straight swap deal that could see Lukaku return to the Nerazzurri.
Inter Milan value their central defender at around £70 million and have already turned down an opening £43m bid from Paris Saint-Germain for the Slovakia international.
Our view:
Lukaku rejoined the Blues in a stunning £97.5m deal from Inter last summer, and it was anticipated that he would help the club make a serious challenge for the league title.
However, that was hardly the case. The Belgian netted just eight league goals throughout the campaign, and was a regular on the bench during the second half of the season.
Lukaku has now been fancied to return to San Siro, and this could work in the Blues’ favour as they could prise away the Nerazzurri’s best centre-back in exchange for his services.
Skriniar has been on the radar of several high-profile clubs in recent years. He would be a superb acquisition for the Blues, having excelled in a three-man backline for Inter.
The 27-year-old has impressed with his tackling and ability to clear his lines. He is also decent in the air. However, his main strength lies in his distribution from the back.
He completed a stunning 93 per cent of his passes last term. With his versatile ability to play in midfield, he has excelled with his ball carrying ability and can deliver occasional key passes.
If a swap deal goes through, Chelsea would obviously need to cut their losses on Lukaku. The decision could prove beneficial for the Blues as they would save funds for more signings.
