Chelsea tipped to offer 'three players plus cash' for World Cup winner in sensational swap deal

Chelsea have been tipped to offer three players plus cash in an audacious swap deal to sign a World Cup winner, it has been reported.

The Blues sat in second place in the Premier League table on Christmas Day after an excellent first half of the 2024/25 season.

Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson have scored 21 goals between them, with the 0-0 draw against Everton on Sunday representing the first time Enzo Maresca's side had failed to find the net in a league game this season.

The Italian had a busy summer in the transfer window, though Chelsea's focus was more on finding new clubs for players that were not part of Maresca's plans moving forwards.

He did complete a number of high-profile signings, though, with Joao Felix arriving from Atletico Madrid, Jadon Sancho signing on loan from Manchester United with an obligation to buy and Pedro Neto joining from Wolves.

It is now being reported that the Italian may now attempt a major transfer swoop in January - but with the inclusion of several Chelsea players going in the other direction.

Reports in Argentina (via Calciomercato) claim that Chelsea are monitoring Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez and are weighing up whether to make a big-money bid for the Argentinian in January.

The 27-year-old has netted over 20 goals in each of the last three Serie A seasons but has had a comparatively difficult campaign this time around.

Martinez has five Serie A goals to his name but none in the last month, and he was even dropped from the starting XI for September's 0-0 draw against Manchester City.

Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez has emerged as a transfer target for Chelsea (Image: Getty)

A change of scenery could be what the 2022 World Cup winner needs, with Maresca previously indicating in the summer that he wants to sign a striker to provide more competition for Jackson.

It is claimed that the Blues 'would offer a lot of money and three players as technical compensation' for the 27-year-old.

The identity of those players are said to be midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka, centre-back Benoit Badiashile and winger Mykhailo Mudryk.

Mudryk is currently suspended by the FA after an adverse doping test result, but the Ukrainian winger has protested his innocence. He stated on his Instagram page that he never knowingly used banned substances, with his team investigating how the adverse finding occurred.