Chelsea Round-Up: Conte reveals top-target, £72m offer received for striker"

Conte tells Roman Abramovich his No.1 summer transfer priority

Chelsea new head-coach Conte is desperate to sign the Belgium international star Romelu Lukaku. The west Londoners sold the 22-year-old to the Toffees in 2014 for £28m. But the former Juventus boss is determined to bring the goal ace back to Stamford Bridge.

Romelu Lukaku has become one of the hottest prospects in European football. It’s understood Manchester United have also made him a top transfer target. The Mirror claim Everton are eyeing Lyon attacker Alexandre Lacazette as a potential replacement for Lukaku.
Merseyside Reds have also been linked with Lacazette who has dazzled in the French top flight this season. Conte looks set to splash the cash in the summer as he looks to overhaul Chelsea’s under-performing squad.It’s thought Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci, Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan and Bayern Munich’s Arturo Vidal are on his transfer hit list.Meanwhile, Blues are also chasing for the signature of Fraser Forster, who is considered as the potential replacement of Thibaut Courtois.

The Saints keeper, 28, is also Barcelona’s radar as Marc-Andre Ter Stegen is set to leave the Spanish giants. But Chelsea will be in pole position for the England international in a £20million summer move.

Belgian stopper Courtois spent three seasons in Spain with Atletico Madrid and is wanted by rivals Real Madrid for a return.

Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink will talk with the Belgium keeper about his comments during the international break when he revealed he didn’t know where he would be playing next season.

Fortmer Stoke stopAsmir Begovic also wants regular first-team football after spending the season as Courtois’ back-up.

Chelsea receive amazing £72m China offer for 27-year-old star
Blues will be offered the chance to sell Diego Costa to a Chinese Super League side this summer, with two unnamed teams prepared to pay £72.1 million for the Spanish striker.

Transfer fee would be a continental record for a player in Asia and would be a major profit for Chelsea on Costa, who moved to Stamford Bridge in 2014 from Atletico Madrid for £32m.

A move to the Far East would see Costa potentially double the £4m-after-tax-salary he currently earns in England and the Times report that club sources are indicating the 27-year-old is pushing for a move away.

The striker, who has scored 11 goals in the Premier League this season, has also been linked with a move back to Atletico and it is stated that the Rojiblancos manager, Diego Simeone, has tried to persuade Costa to return to the Vicente Calderon.

La Liga giants can match the wages Costa currently earns at Chelsea but would not want to pay the fees reportedly on offer in China and would only want to pay half of the aforementioned price.

Costa enjoyed an incredible debut season with Chelsea last term, scoring 20 Premier League goals and helping the Blues win the title. He has struggled for form this campaign, though, and his body language has been less than encouraging from a Chelsea perspective.

Also noted in The Times’ report is that Antonio Cote, who is expected to be named permanent manager at Stamford Bridge this summer, wishes to add a top striker to the squad and has asked that an attempt to sign Everton’s Romelu Lukaku this summer be prioritised. The aforementioned £72m fee for Costa, then, would certainly make for a sizeable transfer kitty from which to draw in this regard

Chelsea have identified £20m star to replace Thibaut Courtois

Chelsea defending Premier League champions will target Fraser Forster if Thibaut Courtois wants to leave.

Belgian keeper has admitted his Stamford Bridge future is uncertain – and Forster is the top choice if he goes.

The Southampton keeper, 28, is also Barcelona’s radar as Marc-Andre Ter Stegen is set to leave the Spanish giants. But Chelsea will be in pole position for the England international in a £20million summer move.

Courtois spent three seasons in Spain with Atletico Madrid and is wanted by rivals Real Madrid for a return.

Blues boss Guus Hiddink will talk with the Belgium keeper about his comments during the international break when he revealed he didn’t know where he would be playing next season.

Asmir Begovic also wants regular first-team football after spending the season as Courtois’ back-up.

And Forster is at the top of their hitlist after successfully coming back from a serious knee injury this season.

On his return he didn’t concede a goal for 708 minutes and won the Premier League player of the month for February.

Barca have kept tabs on him since his amazing performance against them in 2012 when he was nicknamed “The Great Wall” by Spanish media.