Inter Milan could reportedly try to strike a swap deal with Chelsea involving Trevoh Chalobah and Denzel Dumfries.
The Nerazzurri are on the lookout for a replacement for Milan Skriniar, who will join French champions Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Chelsea's Chalobah has apparently been identified as an ideal replacement for Skriniar, having broken into the first team under Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.
The 23-year-old has made 11 Premier League starts for Chelsea in the current campaign and has made 18 appearances in total, but the signing of Benoit Badiashile has led to increased competition at the back.
With Thiago Silva also on the verge of signing a new deal, starts are not guaranteed for Chalobah, who has been an unused substitute in three of the Blues' last six Premier League matches.
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The former England Under-21 international has also been deployed at right-back, but Reece James has since returned from injury, and Malo Gusto will also be at Potter's disposal for the 2023-24 season.
According to Italian journalist Niccolo Ceccarini, Chelsea's interest in Dumfries could lead to Inter proposing the idea of a swap or part-exchange deal for the summer transfer window.
Dumfries arrived in Milan to replace PSG-bound Achraf Hakimi in the summer of 2021, and the Netherlands international has impressed on the right-hand side of Inter's 3-5-2 setup.
The 26-year-old has seven goals and 10 assists to show from 70 games for the Nerazzurri, scoring two goals and setting up three more in 25 matches in all tournaments this term.
However, Dumfries has also found himself among the substitutes in recent weeks due to the form of Matteo Darmian, playing in just one of Inter's last four top-flight matches.
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The defender is under contract at San Siro until 2025, and Manchester United were also strongly linked with a move during the January transfer window amid reports that his agents flew to the UK for talks with the Red Devils.
Inter are reportedly willing to entertain offers between £35m and £44m for Dumfries, meaning that Chelsea will likely have to pay a cash sum as well as Chalobah to land the former PSV Eindhoven man.
Should Chalobah make the move to Italy, the Englishman could follow in the footsteps of Fikayo Tomori and Chris Smalling, both of whom have made a name for themselves in Serie A since leaving the Premier League.
The Chelsea academy graduate has a total of four goals and one assist from 48 Blues appearances under his belt, and he recently signed a long-term contract extension until 2028 with the option of a further year.
Ben Knapton
