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JOSE'S CHELSEA DIG

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho claims Antonio Conte can have no excuses over summer transfer business

The Italian sold Nemanja Matic to the Red Devils for £40million, and the Portuguese manager has no sympathy for his former side

JOSE MOURINHO says Antonio Conte has no excuses after his summer transfer business.

Chelsea boss Conte mourned the loss of Nemanja Matic to bitter rival Mourinho’s Manchester United.

 Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has no sympathy over Chelsea's transfer window business
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Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has no sympathy over Chelsea's transfer window businessCredit: Getty - Contributor
 Antonio Conte has made it no secret that he wants more signings before the close of the window
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Antonio Conte has made it no secret that he wants more signings before the close of the windowCredit: Reuters

But Mourinho fumed: “When you sell and you keep buying, then what’s the problem? You are probably stronger.

“The problem is when you sell and you don’t buy. People say Chelsea lost an important midfield player. But if you lose one and then you buy Bakayoko and Drinkwater for example, what’s the problem?”

Costa has spent the £40million from Matic on Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco and is keen on a deal for Leicester’s Danny Drinkwater.

Conte also splashed an initial £58m on Spain ace Alvaro Morata and £31m on Germany defender Antonio Rudiger.

Yet Conte insists he still needs more players to mount a title defence.

And ahead of United’s visit to Swansea today, Mourinho insists Conte must not hide behind problems in the transfer market.

 Nemanja Matic was sold by the Blues to the Red Devils for £40million
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Nemanja Matic was sold by the Blues to the Red Devils for £40millionCredit: Rex Features
 The Serbian midfielder starred at Old Trafford in the 4-0 win over West Ham last Sunday
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The Serbian midfielder starred at Old Trafford in the 4-0 win over West Ham last SundayCredit: Getty - Contributor

The Portuguese Old Trafford chief added: “If they have problems, the problems are going to finish in a couple of weeks when the market is closed. Then they don’t have problems anymore.

“If they have - I don’t know if they have, but if they have, in a couple of weeks the problems are over.

“They have a very good team, very good players. I don’t see any reason for them not to be fighting for the title.

“I think every top team in the Premier League is potentially strong enough   with our financial situation to be fighting for everything.

“When everybody is in Europe - five in the Champions League and two in the Europa League, you have the top seven playing for everything and all of them are strong.”

Mourinho also says the Blues should be favourites to retain their title.

He said: “For me the favourite is the champion, always. It doesn’t mean you are going to win it, but that it is the stamp you have when you are champions, the next season you are the favourite.”

Mourinho was quick to downplay his own team’s title chances despite United battering West Ham 4-0 last weekend.

But he did single out Romelu Lukaku for praise after his double against the Hammers.

Mourinho said: “That little question mark, ‘Can Romelu cope with it?, he can cope with it clearly.

“I’m too experienced to lose my discipline and think a 4-0 win makes us the best team in the country, the favourites or the dream team. We’re a team with more confidence than last season.”


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