Chelsea are likely to be on the lookout for a new manager this summer (Picture: Getty)
Chelsea are likely to be on the lookout for a new manager this summer (Picture: Getty)

Antonio Conte is prepared to quit as Chelsea manager at the end of the current season, according to The Sunday Times.

The Italian masterminded Chelsea’s unlikely Premier League title-winning campaign last season but his relationship with the club’s board has been a fractious one, exacerbated by a failure to land a number of his priority transfer targets in the summer.

Conte missed out on the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alex Sandro. Danilo and Romelu Lukaku. Although Chelsea did pay a club-record £58million fee for Alvaro Morata, they were left scrambling around on deadline day to recruit the likes of Davide Zappacosta and Danny Drinkwater, who is still yet to make his debut.

The former Italy national team boss reportedly came close to quitting during the summer, while stories of his dissatisfaction at his role in the club’s transfer policy date back to February.

Inter launched a concerted effort to prise him from Stamford Bridge during the close season but were eventually forced to admit defeat and switched their focus to former Roma boss Luciano Spaletti.

Conte set alarm bells ringing earlier this week, meanwhile, when he admitted he missed Italy and did not intend to manage abroad for much longer.

Conte told Radio Anch’io Sport: ‘I miss Italy, there is no doubt.

Antonio Conte was wanted by Inter during the summer (Picture: Reuters)

‘It is not in my mind to stay abroad for a long time. Italy is my country. I will return, I don’t know when but that is the aim.’

When pushed further about what other countries he would enjoy working in, he ruled out a move to China but kept himself open to a spell in Germany.

‘China? No, absolutely not,’ he added. ‘Bundesliga? It’s always difficult to predict the future. Let’s just say that a coach is a temporary worker.

Chelsea have enjoyed real success under the Italian (Picture: AFP/Getty)

‘It depends on the results, but there’s desire on my part to try to do the best I can, finishing one project and then finding the right one to continue. I miss Italy, that’s a fact.

‘Still, this experience is helping me so much. I would also like to change role, maybe become a sporting director in the future.

‘Are we better than the English? There are practically no English managers in the Premier League.

‘There are so many parts of the world here, but everyone here is good, prepared and among the best in the world.’

Conte signed a new contract in the summer but the deal, which runs until 2019, effectively represented a pay rise.