Conte fury as Blues blow bid for Rom
ANTONIO CONTE is growing increasingly frustrated at Chelsea and their latest transfer setback raises serious questions about his future at the club.
The Blues boss had set his heart on Romelu Lukaku and saw the Everton striker as the central piece in his jigsaw.
The Italian was said to be “fuming” at how the deal got away and club officials spent Thursday trying to establish from Lukaku and his advisors whether there was any way back.
But it leaves Conte facing the disastrous prospect of going into the new season with his No.1 target having joined one of Chelsea’s main rivals.
Conte has already had a difficult summer and, according to one source, there was genuine concern the ex-Italy boss could leave last month, such was his frustration over Chelsea’s lack of activity in the transfer market.
In fact, Blues’ technical director Michael Emenalo went “missing” for four days on an emergency mission to resolve the Conte crisis following the fall-out over Diego Costa.
Chelsea’s move for Virgil van Dijk from Southampton has stalled, and deals for Alex Sandro (Juventus) and Tiemoue Bakayoko (Monaco) drag on.
Conte is now likely to go back for Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata and maybe even move for Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez.
But the manager’s new Stamford Bridge contract remains ominously unsigned.