Chelsea were linked with a move for Celtic striker Moussa Dembele at the end of the January transfer window.
Antonio Conte has dismissed reports suggesting that Chelsea made a deadline day move for Celtic striker Moussa Dembele, The Scottish Sun reports.
Report: Celtic striker Moussa Dembele earmarked as Chelsea’s number one summer target
The Blues were linked during the final days of the January transfer window, and The Scottish Sun suggested that a £40 million move could have potentially been on the cards.
Celtic’s Moussa Dembele
However, the deadline came and went with Dembele remaining at Celtic. And now Conte has responded when asked whether the Premier League leaders did make any late attempt to bring the Hoops man to Stamford Bridge.
“No. It was just speculation,” he simply stated, as reported by The Scottish Sun.
Although Conte has denied that Chelsea wanted the Celtic man, it appears that he is planning to pursue a move for the 20-year-old in the summer, with the Daily Mirror suggesting that he is at the top of his list of targets for that window.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte
And if Celtic are resigned to losing him then, they will be hoping that he maintains his form until the end of the campaign as they will surely be looking to get something like the £40 million that was being discussed last month.
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That kind of money should give Brendan Rodgers the resources to make significant improvements to the majority of his squad ahead of what will surely be another campaign which gives them the opportunity to reach the group-stages of the Champions League.
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