According to Italian outlet Sport Mediaset, Chelsea have held preliminary discussions with Inter Milan over the transfer of Andre Onana.
The London giants are keen on landing a new goalkeeper ahead of next season and it was recently reported that Onana is the priority target for the summer transfer window.
As per Sport Mediaset, Chelsea have now spoken with Inter over the shot-stopper and the Serie A outfit have made it clear that they would prefer a straight-cash transfer.
Inter want £35 million for Onana this summer and do not want to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga as part of the deal.
Towards the end of the article, Sport Mediaset add that Inter could be convinced over a part-exchange deal if Chelsea include Trevoh Chalobah or Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Top-class
Arrizabalaga has been Chelsea’s undisputed goalkeeper following the World Cup but the Spaniard has been poor with his decision-making in different situations.
He has been reluctant in making high claims in the box while he has looked vulnerable in stopping long shots. He has conceded six goals from shots outside of the box.
Chelsea will want a better shot-stopper ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and there are not many better than Andre Onana. He has shown excellent reflexes for Inter.
The former Cameroon international is also brilliant with his ball playing abilities. At 27, he is just in the prime of his career as a goalkeeper and would be a fantastic buy.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are currently in a tight situation over Financial Fair Play after the lavish spending over the last year and they may need to recoup funds to spend big.
Hence, they may prefer a swap agreement for Onana. Inter are clear that they don’t want Arrizabalaga and it is left to be seen whether Chelsea offer Chalobah or Loftus-Cheek.
Chelsea will need to move quickly to land the former Ajax man, considering they could be more interest from other top European clubs in signing him heading into the summer.
