Well, Conte probably doesn't rate Costa!

Diego is our player,’ he said. ‘He’s a fantastic player for me. He is a player with fundamental importance.

'For me it’s no problem to read there is possibility to go to another team because Diego announced he stay with us. He is working very hard.

‘He is very happy to work with team-mates and me in a new idea of football. The most important thing is that Diego Costa is a Chelsea player.’

When asked if he was unhappy with Atletico’s behaviour, Conte delivered a measured response.

‘It’s normal to ask for respect,’ he said. ‘I know myself, my attitude, my behaviours. I don’t like to speak about the players of the other teams. I would like that the others do not speak about my players but I know this period is very strange. We respect all, but we want respect.

‘In this moment this is football, the transfer market. I repeat - the most important thing is Diego Costa is Chelsea’s player now and it’s enough.’

He also hailed the Spain striker as the strongest striker on the planet.

‘He showed that he is very, very strong,’ he said. ‘The best in the world for me. I am sure that also when he gets into this idea of football he can score a lot of goals for us.’

Conte, however, would not give a 100 per cent guarantee Costa would start the season in a blue shirt.

‘In football, my experience I learned that 100 per cent never exist because you don’t know what can happen in life,’ he explained.

‘In general, in my experience like footballer and like manager, I learned that 100% is very, very difficult to tell.

'I am sure and I am very happy to train Diego and I know that he is our player and for me he is an important players for me, for team-mates, for the fans, for all of the people in Chelsea. I think Diego also feels this and I think this is important.’

Edited July 21, 20169 yr by Chelsbear

Definitely doesn't rate him       

I don't understand this. Surely we didn't just pay 30m for Batshuayi to sit on the bench?

Why aren't we focussing on defenders? Outside of Zouma, who is coming off a serious injury, we have three over the hill CBs that are all 30+ and a questionable LB in Rahman.

 

Costa is leaving.. we're not in CL, given his age, he's probably thinking 1 season without CL could be too big of an opportunity missed and there is no guarantee that we'll be back on it next season, the competition is as fierce as they come in EPL history.. Every player wants to win CL so maybe he think he wants to make the most out of his remaining chances available plus he's more comfortable with a reunion with his old club... 

We've been linked with many indeed but my point was more about fullback. It's a huge problem area yet we don't seem to be addressing it.

I agree its suprising we havent been linked with any fullbacks. Ricky Rodriguez has a 25m buy out clause, he would be a great signing at left back.

Maybe aina will get a shot, but i prefer to have a left footed left back, weonly have baba, and at a push kenedy.

Is it too early for jay da silva to push for a place?

Just f**king no.......

I agree its suprising we havent been linked with any fullbacks. Ricky Rodriguez has a 25m buy out clause, he would be a great signing at left back.

Maybe aina will get a shot, but i prefer to have a left footed left back, weonly have baba, and at a push kenedy.

Is it too early for jay da silva to push for a place?

 

I don't believe that for one second otherwise clubs would be queuing.

I agree its suprising we havent been linked with any fullbacks. Ricky Rodriguez has a 25m buy out clause, he would be a great signing at left back.

Maybe aina will get a shot, but i prefer to have a left footed left back, weonly have baba, and at a push kenedy.

Is it too early for jay da silva to push for a place?

If we are planning on developing youth players there then I'd be happy but I have this bad feeling Ivan will be back at RB when the new season starts

I don't believe that for one second otherwise clubs would be queuing.

http://www.espnfc.com/story/2900412/ricardo-rodriguez-and-luiz-gustavo-will-not-be-sold-on-the-cheap-wolfsburg

Says €25m in that article from last month. Could have got there wites crossed though.

I really would not be enthusiastic, to see Costa and Lukaku as a strike partnership.  Neither are particularly blessed with close control, but both are very strong players.  I'd much prefer Bats to be the partner to one of those two.  And, I'd only see Bats and Lukaku if Costa were to leave. 

Calm down chaps... The Cuad man is the answer to our RB problem... Wait and see!

We're playing two upfront therefore why would Costa be leaving if we spent 30m on Michy?

You need to have 4 strikers when you play a 2 striker system.

Costa, Michy, Lukaku and Traore is an excellent attack and all will play enough games. Just look at Aguero, Balotelli, Tevez and Dzeko.

Unless Conte is thinking of keeping Remy and if so with Costa leaving, that attack is not even close to winning us the league. In my opinion if we want any chance at winning the league, Costa needs to stay.

Everton wanting 75mill for Lukaku..ROFL..    

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3702151/Everton-aim-ward-Chelsea-s-striker-Romelu-Lukaku-placing-75million-valuation-former-Blues-ace.html

Pass.

I don't think Conte will be signing him after seeing the talent he has at his disposal at Chelsea. If you were to buy another forward I would rather see us spend 20 million on Gabriel Barbosa

I get the impression this is a signing the club wants to make.

We've been linked with Lukaku pretty much every year since we sold him so I reckon Michael Emenalo wants him to return.

Based on media reports our own valuations of players are falling way short in this inflated market.

Having £50m bids rejected is craziness.

but I don't think Emenalo can decide this. Unless Conte is really keen and have identified Lukaku as his main target i just don't see this happening.

 

I have to say I am not at all excited at the prospect of having Lukaku back and paying over 50 million pounds for him.

but I don't think Emenalo can decide this. Unless Conte is really keen and have identified Lukaku as his main target i just don't see this happening.

Conte won't have final say on transfers. Emenalo's job is recruitment, Conte may have said he wants two new strikers but then the scouts and Emenalo identify players of a certain profile and try to sign the best they can.

The days of a manager dictating which players specifically are signed for their teams are gone.

Cant see them forcing a player on the manager either. As with Michy and Kantè any big signing will have Contes approval

Cant see them forcing a player on the manager either. As with Michy and Kantè any big signing will have Contes approval

Fully Agree.

Conte won't have final say on transfers. Emenalo's job is recruitment, Conte may have said he wants two new strikers but then the scouts and Emenalo identify players of a certain profile and try to sign the best they can.

The days of a manager dictating which players specifically are signed for their teams are gone.

Conte said he agreed with the club for the signature of Batshuyai and Kante so he clearly identified the players he wants rather than just leave it to Emenalo to transfer whatever player he thinks might fit the profile. I surely hope we learnt from previous mistakes and won't impose players on Conte. Again for me Luaku is very unlikely and in my opinion not needed as he doesn't bring any improvement on what we already have. Not to mention the astronomical price for a player we sold for 28 mil

We bring in players like Cuadrado, Salah, Torres, Pappy, Baba, Hector and so on who are clearly club signings and the comments from the managers seem to back that up at the time.

Conte might have agreed to the signings but that doesn't mean he identified them as targets.

Same as Lukaku, he might be open to him joining Chelsea as he wants more striking options but it wouldn't surprise me if Emenalo is pushing the deal as an alternative to Morata.

Edited July 22, 20169 yr by ForeverCarefree

Still, that means Conte wants him if he ends up here. Morata isnt for sale so no need to go Down that route, Im sure we are exploring other options as well, but it doesnt seem many are available.

We bring in players like Cuadrado, Salah, Torres, Pappy, Baba, Hector and so on who are clearly club signings and the comments from the managers seem to back that up at the time.

Jose seemed pretty happy to be signing cuadrado and salah at the time, remember they were only brought in because jose couldnt keep mata, de bruyne, and schurrle happy. Its the same with baba, had jose used felipe luis more, we wouldnt needed another left back.

Ancelloti has said it was he who wanted torres, and the other 2 werent really bought to be 1st team players anyway.

I dont think we force players on the manager, at least not since Shevchenko. If conte wanted to veto a move for lukaku, he would have the power to.

From everything i read when mourinho returned, recruitment was a joint process between manager, dof, and chief exec.

I remember when we signed Papy, Mourinho said something along the lines of "The same person who gave me Zouma reccomended me this player so I trust his judgment". I took that at the time to mean that he wanted a CB, the Club couldnt get the one he preferred (Stones) but they had an alternate that Mourinho signed off on. Doesnt seem like it will work out, but thats the risk you take With players like Papy. It clearly wasnt a case of the Club wanting Papy over Stones, they clearly went all out for him but Everton dug their heels in

Edited July 22, 20169 yr by Xfaxtor