Chelsea 'could offer Kepa Arrizabalaga as part of a deal to sign Inter Milan's Andre Onana'

Chelsea are willing to offer Kepa Arrizabalaga as part of a deal to bring Inter Milan's Andre Onana to west London, according to reports.

Arrizabalaga's stay with Chelsea has so far been a turbulent one, but after a long spell out of the first team, he has found himself preferred more often this term to Edouard Mendy between the sticks.

However, with Onana impressing in Serie A - as well as helping Inter to the Champions League semi-finals - his stay at the club could be set to conclude with a summer departure.

Both Arrizabalaga and Mendy are believed to be deemed below the required standard, with Chelsea already having highlighted Borussia Dortmund's Gregor Kobel as another potential option to replace both keepers.

And as per La Gazzetta dello Sport, via Football Italia, the Spaniard could be involved in negotiations between the two clubs, with the Blues believed to be keen to replace him with the Cameroon international goalkeeper.

The report claims that the Premier League outfit are prepared for a discussion over the 27-year-old Inter star's future in a meeting later this week, with Arrizabalaga considered a potentially bargaining option for the Blues.

It is believed that Inter have put a £35.4million (€40m) price tag on their stopper, and although Chelsea have spent lavishly in the past two windows, they will be keen to exchange a player in order to reduce any transfer fee.

Onana has been one of the standout performers in an up-and-down season for the Nerazzurri.

Despite struggling in the league - with just one win since March 5 - they find themselves in the last-four of both the Coppa Italia and Champions League, having already lifted the Supercoppa Italiana in January.

But the 27-year-old has offered a dependable option at the back having arrived only last summer on a free transfer from Dutch giants Ajax, where he spent seven years.

In 33 outings in all competitions he has kept 15 clean sheets, including in the final of the Supercoppa, the first leg against Benfica, both clashes with Porto, a Milan derby win and a 1-0 victory over runaway champions-elect Napoli.

Arrizabalaga's season has been somewhat less consistent, although he has been playing in a Chelsea side that has suffered a similar fate in 2022-23, managing just nine Premier League clean sheets.

However, an exit as part of a deal to facilitate the arrival of his replacement would be considered a limp departure for the world's most expensive goalkeeper.

The Spaniard joined the west London side back in 2018 from Athletic Bilbao on a £72m (€80m) deal, but has fallen some way short of delivering on that price tag.

He has managed a total of 59 clean sheets in 157 games for Chelsea, and although he was part of the squads that won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup, he was replaced by Mendy after his 2020 arrival.

The Spaniard is out of contract in 2025, and as such the Blues will be keen to see him depart for a decent fee - or indeed as part of an important move to bolster their options - rather than lose him for nothing after the following summer.

Inter are reportedly eyeing up a potential move for Empoli's Guglielmo Vicario should they lose Onana, with the Italian impressing with seven clean sheets in Serie A this term.