Conte and Chelsea’s lover’s tiff looks over

CHELSEA are pushing ahead with contract talks with Antonio Conte despite the frustrations which exist between the manager and the board over early moves in the transfer market.

Chelsea’s board have expressed their own frustration at the manager’s decision to inform Diego Costa by text message that he would not be in his plans for next season.

Despite that, sources at the club insist the situation has been resolved and that Chelsea managing director Marina Granovskaia and Conte’s representative Federico Pastorello are in frequent contact while Conte is on holiday.

And Chelsea are confident a deal, which is expected to take Conte’s wages from £5 million a year to £9m, will be agreed.

Chelsea consider those talks to be an indication that they are backing their manager and insist that the targets the manager has identified are being pursued, though it is early days.

Willy Cabellero is expected to join next week as a back-up goalkeeper and Chelsea are in negotiations for Juventus wingback Alex Sandro, valued at £55m.

The Costa situation, which saw Conte inform the Brazilianborn player he was not in his plans, has complicated Chelsea’s strategy.

Bidding clubs now know he is available and Chelsea have yet to tie down a deal for his replacement, Romelu Lukaku of Everton.

Conte would also like to bid for Marco Verratti, but the midfielder, who is meeting Paris St-Germain for talks on his future, looks likely to head for Barcelona.