Chelsea show interest in 30-year-old Barcelona target - Reports

Chelsea are reportedly keeping tabs on Inter Milan midfielder and Barcelona target Marcelo Brozovic.

The Blues have been on a spending spree since their takeover by Todd Boehly last summer and might continue along those lines this summer as well.

Barcelona, who competed against Chelsea for quite a few signings last summer, might have to fend off the Blues again this year over a potential transfer for Brozovic, according to Gazzetta.

Brozovic in action. FC Internazionale v Spezia Calcio - Serie A

The Croatian midfielder is an integral player in the Inter Milan setup and is currently being scouted by multiple big clubs including Chelsea, Barcelona, and Real Madrid.

He has played 306 games for the Serie A side, scoring 30 goals and registering 37 assists. His presence in midfield, however, cannot be quantified with only goals and assists.

The Croatian is an expert at maintaining the tempo in midfield. He orchestrates the build-up in attack and helps his team transition the game smoothly into the opponent's half.

The player is reportedly on a €6.5m salary per year, which would be affordable for Chelsea.

Brozovic, however, has four years left on his current contract at Inter. Hence, whoever wants to sign the Croatian will have to be prepared to spend a fortune on the midfielder.

Chelsea's spending spree

Chelsea spent close to £300 million last summer after Todd Boehly took over at the club. They signed players like Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella, and Wesley Fofana, among others, to revamp their squad.

They had an extremely poor first half of the season, with the owners spending nearly £300 million once again in the January transfer market. They brought in players like Enzo Fernandez, Mykhalo Mudryk, and Joao Felix (on loan), among others.

However, the players are still struggling to click as a team with the Blues currently on a poor run of form. They have won only two of their last 16 games. With Boehly looking to completely overhaul the squad, the spending spree could well continue over the summer.

Barcelona kicked out of Europa League

Amidst a lot of financial uproar, Barcelona spent in excess of £140m last summer. Under the management of Xavi, the team was hoping to rediscover their success. They have done well in the league, where they currently lead the table. However, Barca have been poor in Europe, where they were kicked out in the group stages of the Champions League.

The Blaugrana suffered further embarrassment in the Europa League after losing to Manchester United (4-3 on aggregate) in the Round of 32.