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Chelsea round-up: Antonio Conte reacts to Tottenham win; Diego Costa to reject move; Burnley’s Michael Keane wants transfer
Antonio Conte reacted to Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final win over Tottenham with pride, praising not only his Chelsea side but also his opposition after a thrilling clash between the two London clubs. Conte also explained his selection decisions, as he told the :
“To reach in my first season the final of this competition is a great achievement but not only for me, above all for my players and for the club and for the staff and the fans… We deserved this after a very tough game against a really strong team.
“To see this type of game, I think England must be proud… For sure when you arrive in this part of the season, and you know you have to play three tough games and one is a semi-final and a top game, and a top priority, but you know you have to play on Tuesday after only two and a half days a game very important for us and for the league, you have to take strong decisions… it is not easy to start the game without two really important players.”
It was undoubtedly a brave call by Conte to drop both Diego Costa and Eden Hazard for Willian and Michy Batshuayi, but their devastating impact as substitutes alongside Willian’s brace of goals proved to justify the decision by the Italian.
Costa has struggled for form of late, coinciding with increasing speculation regarding his future, and the claim that he is now preparing to reject Italian giants Juventus as he eyes a return to his former club Atletico Madrid in the summer with the Spanish club looking to bring him back to Madrid.
Alvaro Morata, of Atletico’s city rivals Real Madrid, is already being lined up as his replacement, but Costa may make negotiations over his sale difficult if he rules out a move anywhere other than back to his old club, potentially impacting the transfer fee that Chelsea receive.
The Blues have been boosted elsewhere though, as reported defensive target Michael Keane has told current club Burnley that he wishes to leave Turf Moor in the summer, according to . Sean Dyche’s side now look to have secured survival in the Premier League this season, but that is clearly not enough for the England international.
With one cap now to his name, Manchester United are also thought to be interested in their former youth product, but Chelsea are also monitoring the situation as they look for a long-term replacement for departing captain John Terry.
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