WE’VE ONLY JUST STARTED!
Conte insists he’ll stay at Chelsea, and he’ll make title winners even better... if club back him with cash
ANTONIO CONTE insists that he has only just begun his work at Chelsea and is already planning for next season, despite interest from Inter Milan to take him back to Italy.
Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo will meet the manager this week to discuss summer transfer targets, with Romelu Lukaku, Leonardo Bonucci and Virgil van Dijk on the club’s wanted list.
But Chelsea will also have to consider improving Conte’s £6million-ayear contract to reward him for his remarkable first year, in which he could yet win the Premier League and FA Cup Double. He has also outperformed managers such as Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, who are paid twice as much.
Asked if he would be at Stamford Bridge next season, Conte said: ‘Yeah, yeah. And we have to improve next season.
‘We are working only nine months together. But if you can continue with these players you can improve a lot. Now they know my idea, I know them, the characteristics of my players.’
In addition to adding to the title-winning team, Conte has vowed to keep his best players. Financial fair play restrictions mean Chelsea would find it difficult to resist a £70m bid from Chinese club Tianjin Quanjian for Diego Costa — but will fight to keep Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois despite interest from Real Madrid.
Conte said: ‘I think the club want to fight to win every competition. We have the same ambition. For this reason we try to keep the best players.
‘ We must enjoy and celebrate because when you work hard it is important to celebrate. And also to prepare for the final of the FA Cup, because we have the opportunity to win the Double.’
Courtois, who has two more years on his contract, says he will stay and backs Conte in pencilling the Champions League as their target.
The Belgium keeper said: ‘Of course, I’m committed to Chelsea. Next season there is a new goal of the Champions League. I think a lot of players are hungry for winning that as well.’