Ready to sell Jorginho to Arsenal, Chelsea reportedly approached Inter to explore a deal for midfielder Nicolo Barella.
The 31-year-old Italian-Brazilian midfielder is set to join the Gunners on an 18-month contract from Chelsea in a deal worth around £12m total.
The Blues have been hoping to strengthen their squad with 2022 World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez, but are struggling to convince Benfica of a deal, pushing them to consider alternatives.
As reported by TMW, Chelsea identified Barella as an interesting target and contacted Inter to explore a deal for the Italian midfielder, wary that they may miss out on Fernandez.
The Nerazzurri were not willing to discuss a deal and rebuffed the Premier League giants, who’ll now have to look elsewhere if they want to pick up a new midfielder before the closure of the January transfer window.
Barella’s contract expires with Inter in June 2026 and the club are not willing to lose the midfielder, preferring to sell other first team regulars in the summer instead.