Transfer gossip: Conte plans to offload Blues trio, Star claim

A round-up of the latest transfer speculation involving Chelsea…

Confirmation of Antonio Conte’s appointment as Chelsea’s next manager has triggered more speculation about who might be joining or leaving the club this summer.

The Daily Star reckon Conte has already decided that John Mikel Obi, Pedro and Loic Remy can go at the end of the season.

Clubs in China are said to be interested in Mikel, who has been at Stamford Bridge for a decade.

Claiming an exclusive, the Star also declare that Conte wants a deal done to re-sign former Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku from Everton before this summer’s European Championship.

And The Express pick up on a story by the Football Insider website, which claimed Chelsea want to sign Lukaku and the striker’s Everton team-mate John Stones for a total of £90m.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail say Conte will hold talks with Diego Costa in an attempt to persuade him to remain at the Bridge.

The Guardian suggest Conte would be fighting a losing battle, with Costa, who has been linked with the striker’s former club Atletico Madrid, said to be keen to return to Spain.

In Conte’s native Italy, La Gazzetta dello Sport have reported that he wants to sign Napoli’s Argentina forward Gonzalo Higuain and Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci – a story that has since been picked up by the Express. 

Sky Sports HQ believe he is interested in signing Roma’s Bosnia-Herzegovina midfielder Miralem Pjanic.

The Sun say Conte will target Roma’s German central defender Antonio Rudiger if Chelsea cannot sign Bonucci, who recently signed a new contract.