Reporter claims Chelsea would rather have these two strikers rather than Diego Costa
ESPN FC reporter Gabriele Marcotti claims that Chelsea boss Antonio Conte believes Andrea Belotti or Alvaro Morata would be a better fit than Diego Costa in his system
Antonio Conte would rather have Andrea Belotti or Alvaro Morata in his Chelsea team than Diego Costa, according to Gabriele Marcotti.
The Chelsea boss is in the market to sign a centre-forward after the Italian coach informed Costa that he is free to leave the Premier League champions this summer.
Conte’s top target was rumoured to be Belgium international Romelu Lukaku as Chelsea looked to re-sign the striker that they sold to Everton in a £27m deal in 2014.
However, the club’s ex-manager Jose Mourinho landed the 24-year-old after Manchester United agreed a £75m deal to sign Lukaku from the Toffees.
Chelsea are being linked with a £70m offer to sign Morata following their setback in the transfer market.
The Blues were rumoured to be interested in the Spain international last summer but Morata ended up moving back to Real Madrid in a £29m deal.
Speaking to ESPN about why Conte wants to get rid of Costa this summer, Serie A expert Marcotti explained that the Chelsea boss believes Belotti and Morata would be better fits for his system.
“The reason Costa is going isn’t because he fell out with Conte,” Marcotti told ESPN FC.
“It’s because he doesn’t do what Conte wants him to do. Conte has an idea what he wants his forward to do. Costa isn’t doing that. In his mind, he’d rather have Belotti or Morata. Those are two centre-forward he’d rather have than Costa.”
Chelsea won the Premier League title with two games to spare last season after finishing seven points clear of their closest rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
The Blues lost 2-1 to bitter rivals Arsenal in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
