Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has agreed contract extension at the Stamford Bridge after he was assured that new signings will arrive soon, according to multiple reports.
The Evening Standard reports that the Italian held talks with Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia on Sunday about signing a new deal.
Conte is therefore expected to sign a new £9.5 million deal to remain at Chelsea until 2021 after receiving assurances that progress is being made on transfer targets following a disagreement last week.
Consequent upon the Sunday meeting with Granovskaia, a meeting has been scheduled between the coach and club owner Roman Abramovich later this week.
Conte will become the seventh highest paid coach in the world on £9.5 million a year when he signs the extension, which will see him stay at Stamford Bridge until 2021. The 47-year-old is currently on holiday in Italy.
He and Abramovich have had a good bond since the Russian interviewed Conte for the job last year. The owner made a point of backing Conte with visits to the training ground following consecutive defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal in September.
The duo were noticeably on good terms when they sat next to each other to watch Chelsea’s FA Youth Cup win at Stamford Bridge two months ago.
Conte’s only source of unease has been the lack of signings by Chelsea so far. He is not looking for greater control over recruitment as he is content with the set-up involving Granovskaia and technical director Michael Emenalo.
But the Italian wants to avoid a repeat of last year when two of his acquisitions, David Luiz and Marcus Alonso, were completed on the final day of the transfer window.
Their late arrival meant he could not work with them during pre-season and the switch to a 3-4-3 formation was delayed until October. Conte won’t have the benefit of several free weeks to develop tactics and systems in practice sessions next season because the club are back in the Champions League. Chelsea return to pre-season training on July 7 and leave for their pre-season tour of the Far East 12 days later.
Those players involved in internationals will have an extended break, but Conte is looking for his squad to be completed as much as possible so they can play in the three friendly games arranged, as well as the Community Shield against Arsenal on August 6.
According to the Goal, the 47-year-old is currently on holiday in Italy and is close to securing a new home close to Chelsea’s training ground ahead of his wife and daughter’s move to join him in London. He has also secured a place for his daughter at a London school.
Conte will be back as Chelsea begin pre-season on 7 July and is expected to take part in some low profile friendlies in England, ahead of a lucrative tour of the far east to face the likes of Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Inter.
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