Chelsea round-up: Conte could walk; Italian club make striker offer; Costa’s future clarified after Lukaku blow

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After reports emerged on Thursday claiming that Chelsea have been beaten in their pursuit of Romelu Lukaku, new rumours have circulated suggesting that Antonio Conte could leave the club. The Mirror say that the Italian is growing increasingly frustrated by the club’s transfer business.

They believe that Lukaku was Conte’s top target this summer and is enraged at having missed out on the Everton centre-forward. With Diego Costa on his way out of the club, it now sends the Blues back to the drawing board and with Conte under pressure to rebuild an attack in a limited time period.

One of those options up-front is Torino striker Andrea Belotti, who scored 28 goals in 38 games in Italy last season. Italian newspaper Tuttosport report that his current club have made him a huge new offer and guaranteed him the captain’s armband if he stays in Turin going into next season.

However, even with the wage increase also on the table, he would only be paid in the region of £35,000 per week and that is a figure which would be gazumped by Chelsea. With the more emotional offer of the captain’s armband, the 23-year-old may be tempted to establish himself in Serie A before considering an exit.

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It has now been made clear that Diego Costa’s future will not be affected by the Lukaku revelations though. The Daily Mail claim that the striker has not seen any change to his situation with an exit this summer inevitable. Atletico Madrid are the favourites in the race for his services but are subject to a transfer ban and will not pay more than £22 million.

That could open the door to Besiktas, with the Turkish side looking for a powerful centre-forward. Given Costa’s very public preference to return to the Spanish capital, it would seem likely that a deal will be struck with Diego Simeone’s side, even if it means the Blues accepting a £10 million loss on the 28-year-old.

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