Chelsea have reportedly proposed a swap deal for Nicolo Barella that would see Romelu Lukaku join Inter Milan on a permanent basis.

The Belgium international joined Chelsea for the second time in his career in the summer of 2021, signing from Inter in a £97.5m transfer.

Following a turbulent campaign with the West London club, Lukaku returned to Inter last summer on a season-long loan deal.

Although the first half of the season was disrupted by injury, the forward registered 14 goals and seven assists in 37 competitive appearances.

Lukaku is now set to return to Stamford Bridge following the conclusion of his loan spell, but Inter are pushing to bring him back to the club.

According to Corriere dello Sport, Chelsea have proposed a swap deal that would see Lukaku sign for Inter in exchange for Barella.

Such a transfer would suit the Blues, who are keen to offload Lukaku on a permanent deal and the addition of Barella would bolster a midfield that could be weakened in the near future.

The likes of Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher and N'Golo Kante have all been linked with moves away from the club during the summer window.

Barella, who is under contract until June 2026, made 52 appearances across all competitions last term, scoring nine goals and providing 10 assists.

The Italy international has also attracted interest from Newcastle United, who have reportedly made an attempt to land the Inter man for £50m.

However, Inter are determined to retain Barella's services, which will dampen Chelsea's hopes of agreeing a swap deal.

Simone Inzaghi's side would also prefer to bring Lukaku back on another season-long loan deal rather than a permanent transfer.

Despite losing to Manchester City in the Champions League final, Inter ended the 2022-23 campaign with the Italian Super Cup and the Coppa Italia. body check tags ::