Fabio Santini has told Calciomercato.it that Antonio Conte will not stay at Tottenham after speaking to Paris Saint-Germain, and he will target a transfer for Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku.
Les Parisiens intend to part with Mauricio Pochettino at the end of the season after again failing to conquer Europe. The Ligue 1 title is there for PSG’s taking with a 12-point lead on Marseille in second. But Champions League success continues to allude the French giants.
PSG chiefs believe Conte can be the one to finally accomplish their goal of winning UEFA’s premier club competition. Talks have now taken place over a number of weeks, with Fabio Bergomi claiming earlier this month that discussions had reached a ‘very advanced’ stage.
Santini now adds that a source close to Conte states he will not stay at Tottenham having spoken to Paris Saint-Germain about replacing Pochettino. And his first aim once in charge at Le Parc des Princes will be to reunite with his former Inter Milan star, Chelsea’s Lukaku.
Conte ‘does not stay’ at Tottenham and wants Lukaku at Paris Saint-Germain
Conte walked out on Inter Milan last year as the Serie A champions had to downsize their playing squad. Lukaku would ultimately be the big-ticket sale at £97.5m, along with selling Achraf Hakimi to PSG for £51.5m. The Moroccan’s switch could eventually cost PSG £60m.
But neither Lukaku nor Hakimi have settled at their new sides, and now want to return to the San Siro. Yet Italian journalist Santini expects Lukaku will follow Conte to Paris Saint-Germain if the Tottenham boss takes over. A return to Inter Milan would also be difficult.
“He does not stay in London, I know thanks to a source very close to him,” Santini said. “At the moment, there is a negotiation with the Parisiens.
“For about two weeks, [Lukaku] and Hakimi have been inundating the old Inter colleagues of WhatsApp messages, of the type: ‘We want to return, we are willing to retouch the engagement’. Lukaku to Inter can only return on loan.
“But, at the moment, there is a negotiation between Conte and PSG. Where Conte goes, Lukaku [follows]. The PSG has all the elements to be well accepted by the Belgian. You don’t go back to Inter, but you go to your coach.”
Conte remains a big fan of Lukaku from the Tottenham boss’ time with the Chelsea striker at Inter Milan. Eurosport even claimed in February that the Italian could target the Belgian for Spurs this summer as Lukaku’s relationship with Thomas Tuchel may force a departure.
But, instead, the word from Italy is that Conte will walk away from Tottenham after seven months, and will now take his transfer target Lukaku with him to Paris Saint-Germain, too.
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