Chelsea reportedly expressed an interest in signing Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella earlier in the January transfer window.
The Blues have shown a willingness to spend whatever is necessary to strengthen their first-team squad at the midway point of the campaign.
Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos, Noni Madueke, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Joao Felix and David Datro Fofana have all made the switch to Stamford Bridge.
However, Chelsea remain keen to break their transfer record with the acquisition of Enzo Fernandez, returning for the Benfica midfielder after having previous offers rejected by his club.
As it stands, it remains unclear whether the West Londoners will make the breakthrough with their Portuguese counterparts, but it appears that they enquired about an alternative this month.
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According to Tuttomercatoweb, Chelsea made contact with Inter to ask whether they would be prepared to part ways with Barella.
The 25-year-old is a key player at San Siro, contributing a total of six goals and five assists from his 24 appearances in Serie A and the Champions League.
With those numbers in mind and his general influence in the team, it is claimed that Chelsea received an immediate rejection from Inter officials.
Barella also possesses a contract at Inter until the end of 2025-26, something which would likely lead to Inter demanding figures close to what is being requested by Benfica for Fernandez.
Chelsea are looking to make room for a fresh face in midfield with the sale of Jorginho, who is allegedly on the brink of signing for Arsenal.
Darren Plant
