Antonio Conte was spotted in deep discussion with Inter Milan boss Luciano Spalletti this weekend amid speculation Chelsea are keen on signing Antonio Candreva.
Reports suggest Candreva is on Conte’s four-man wishlist ahead of the 2017/18 campaign, with the Blues already securing deals for Willy Caballero, Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Alvaro Morata this summer.
Candreva has even fueled rumours of a Chelsea move, claiming it’s ‘nice’ to be linked with the Premier League champions, and his agent, Federico Pastorello, has refused to rule out a Stamford Bridge switch.
The Italian winger started for Inter in the side’s pre-season friendly versus Chelsea and a number of Blues fans spotted the two managers having an animated discussion in the lead-up to kick-off at the National Stadium in Singapore.
After Inter’s 2-1 win, Spalletti rubbished the recent rumours, stating: ‘Absolutely not, he is irreplaceable in that role, even if this transfer market has proven to be unpredictable.’
‘I was satisfied with the seriousness the players have had so far and the professionalism they have.’
It’s understood Chelsea would have to spend in excess of £18million to have any chance of landing Candreva in the coming weeks.
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