WHY CONTE COULD STILL TAKE A WALK

Unhappy at missing out on Lukaku and lack of progress over other big-name targets, furious boss may quit.. just as he did at Juventus

HE has done it before and could easily do it again.

Three years ago, disaffected at the failures of Juventus to land transfer targets, Antonio Conte quit as manager on the second day of pre-season.

The Serie A champions were unable, at the time, to satisfy him they could keep key players and the Italy job was on the horizon.

There may not be any kind of obvious sanctuary for Conte right now, but it does not mean he is guaranteed to stay at Chelsea.

Just a matter of weeks ago, the Premier League champions were supremely confident of committing Conte, 47, to a £9.6million new deal to tighten his grip on the top flight.

Chinese-backed Inter Milan had thrown money at him but there was never any real concern Chelsea could lose the man who had healed the rifts that had opened up under Jose Mourinho.

It is all very different now, just weeks later. Neither Conte nor his staff have committed themselves to new deals yet.

Romelu Lukaku, the striker that Conte had been hellbent on bringing to the club, has slipped away.

Chelsea’s chief negotiator, Marina Granovskaia, had a free run at the Belgian but balked at the £100m asking price.

Manchester United swooped, went in hard, and used their relationship with the player’s agent, Mino Raiola, to put themselves in the driving seat.

Neither does Granovskaia want to pay the £50m it would cost to bring in Juventus centre-back Leonardo Bonucci, believing the outlay too big for a player who has just turned 30.

The Italian champions continue to keep Chelsea at arm’s length in their pursuit of Brazil wing-back Alex Sandro, continually moving the goalposts over his valuation, while attempting themselves to tie him to a new deal.

There is still no new right wing-back, either, despite the club’s interest in Porto’s Danilo. Chelsea also have a number of frustrated young players, desperate for first-team action but unlikely to get any.

England Under-21 midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah (above) has taken matters into his own hands, with just a year left on his contract. He has decided he will not sign a new deal and leave on a free in 12 months’ time, if Chelsea price him out of a move to Watford.

Belgian midfielder Charly Musonda, 20, can only hope Conte will make good on his promise to let him get a look-in next season.

Others are similarly concerned about their long-term prospects, while the many loan players to have returned have cut disillusioned figures at Chelsea’s Cobham HQ this week.

Some know they will go back out straight away. Others are not so sure. Most are putting in just a nominal effort as they mark time before their fates are decided.

It is a fascinating state of affairs at a club on top of the world just 49 days ago.