Chelsea dodged a €100m Lautaro Martinez bullet

Cameron Smith

27 Sept 2024 13:30 BST
4 min read

Chelsea’s pursuit of a new number nine took them down a long and winding path this summer.

Article continues under the video

Victor Osimhen was always their top target, but the Blues were also reportedly interested in Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres, Santiago Gimenez and Lois Openda, among several others.

However, Barcelona youngster Marc Guiu was their only number nine addition during the summer window, and the 18-year-old has played an extremely limited role so far this season.

Instead, Nicolas Jackson has remained as Chelsea’s first-choice striker and the Senegal international has enjoyed a sublime start to the campaign.

His debut season at Stamford Bridge was promising, though not sensational, but Jackson has stepped up a level in 2024-25.

He already has four goals and two assists in just five Premier League appearances this season, and his form has left Christopher Nkunku as an expensive back-up.

However, things could have been far different if Chelsea had decided to match Inter Milan’s €100 million asking price for Lautaro Martinez.

The Argentina international has been linked with a Premier League move for several years, and Chelsea are known admirers.

Chelsea’s Lautaro Martinez decision

Chelsea were reportedly told that Lautaro would cost €100m this summer, and the decision to avoid signing him now looks like the correct one.

While Lautaro is widely recognised as one of the world’s best strikers, his form is subpar to put it kindly.

Although he enjoyed a prolific Copa America this summer - netting five goals, including the winner in the final, during Argentina’s run to glory - he has only scored once in his last 15 Inter games.

Current ETV

Lautaro Martínez

F (C)

Inter

Lautaro Martínez

F (C)

Inter

ETV Range

€50.7M - €84.4M

Marcus Thuram has outshone him at San Siro in recent months and his current goalscoring form simply doesn’t justify a €100m price tag.

Lautaro also only has two assists during his dry spell in front of goal, while his all-round play has never been his standout trait.

Furthermore, Jackson would likely have been reduced to a back-up role if Lautaro had arrived at Stamford Bridge this summer and the Senegalese star’s form suggests that demoting him would have been a foolish mistake.

As a result, it’s fair to say Chelsea dodged a bullet by prioritising Jackson’s development over signing Lautaro.