Antonio Conte Confirms One Chelsea Player Is Leaving This Summer
Feb 19, 2017 at 4:32 PM
Chelsea could be set to lose promising youngster Dominic Solanke in the summer, Antonio Conte has admitted.
Solanke has been linked with a move to Premier League rivals Liverpool after contract negotiations with the Blues broke down with the club not willing to meet the youngster’s demands. The much lauded 19-year-old striker reportedly asked for a £50,000 a week deal and a guarantee of regular playing time, something that the West London club couldn’t agree to.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte admitted that Solanke’s departure seems inevitable, per the Mirror’s John Cross.
Solanke spent last season on loan at Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem where he netted seven goals in 26 total appearances and the promising young striker clearly harbours ambitions to play regularly at the top level based on those performances.
However, with Chelsea’s surfeit of attacking talent, he hasn’t been able to break into the first team this season and has made it clear to family and friends that he wants to sign with Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp’s uninhibited desire to give young players regular opportunities is certainly an attractive prospect for Solanke and the Reds could use more attacking talent, so could this be a perfect match?
Youngsters like Kelvin Stewart, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Ovie Ejaria have all been given chances in the league this season.
Solanke hasn’t been able to break into the senior squad at Chelsea and has not played for the first team since his debut in the UEFA Champions League against NK Maribor back in 2014. This lack of action coupled with his rather outlandish wage demands have led to the overall feeling around the club that Solanke will move on this summer.
Liverpool could be the perfect scenario for Solanke, but one does feel that he may have to get a little more realistic about his wage bracket.