Antonio Conte believes failure to sign Lukaku, Van Dijk cost him his job at Chelsea

Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte believes failures in the transfer market ultimately cost him his job at Chelsea. The Italian tactician had signed for the Blues ahead of the 2016-17 season, winning the Premier League title in his very first year before finishing fifth next season. The former Juventus boss has now spoken about his time at Stamford Bridge, where he won two major trophies before joining Inter last year. 

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Conte Chelsea stint: Former Blues boss wanted to sign Romelu Lukaku, Virgil van Dijk 

In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, Antonio Conte revealed that Romelu Lukaku and Virgil van Dijk were his top two targets in the summer after winning the Premier League title in his first season. The 51-year-old said that he had specifically asked the Chelsea board to get the two players on board as Conte believed the duo would have improved his team by 30%. The Inter Milan boss reveals that the Blues were in dialogue with both players but failed to get a deal over the line.

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Conte said that had he got both Van Dijk and Lukaku then, the Blues would have stayed at the top of the Premier League table for many years. Lamenting the missed opportunity, the former Italian national team manager said that Van Dijk has shown his class at Liverpool and proven his assessment was correct.

As for Lukaku, the Belgian striker teamed up with Conte at Inter Milan last season and has enjoyed record-breaking success in Milan. The 27-year-old, however, had to endure two unsuccessful years at Manchester United, who snapped him up ahead of the 2017-18 season.

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When quizzed whether things would have been different for Lukaku at Chelsea under him, Conte said that he "for sure" would have enjoyed success similar to what he has experienced since joining Inter, lavishing praise on the former Everton man. The Inter Milan boss said that in one year, Lukakau has seen a marked improvement and believes the Belgian ace is a keen learner.

However, Conte added that the former Manchester United striker still has a lot to improve and when he does, he'll become one of the best strikers in the world. Inter have had a far from a perfect start this season, winning just three of their seven Serie A games so far. The Nerazzurri's poor form has not affected Lukaku, who has already scored seven goals in seven starts in all competitions.

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(Image Courtesy: premierleague.com)