Inter Milan are going to make Chelsea pay for their manager
The chances of Antonio Conte leaving Chelsea this summer are pretty slim. He’ll continue to be linked with every high-profile managerial vacancy that comes open, but he has things pretty good at Stamford Bridge. That doesn’t mean Roman Abramovich isn’t going to need to pay him more money though.
In particular, interest from Inter Milan is going to prove to be a bit of a problem for the higher-ups at Chelsea. Reports from England claim the Serie A giants have offered Conte a wage packet exceeding £12 million per year. Conte’s current wages at Chelsea are only slightly over £6 million per season.
The Italian manager certainly hasn’t articulated any desire to give the Blues a hometown discount. His most recent comments on his future danced around the subject of Inter’s interest pretty delicately. He did, however, make it clear that managers and players should be paid what they’re worth.
It’s not hard to see where Conte is going with this. He’s done a masterful job in his first season at Chelsea which will almost certainly culminate with winning a Premier League title. He’s completely erased the stench of Jose Mourinho’s last months at the club. Ironically, Conte still is compensated less than the Special One earns at Manchester United.
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That reality, coupled with the interest from Italy, give Conte a ton of ammunition heading into contract negotiations with Abramovich. In fairness, the Russian owner has never been afraid to spend the money necessary to field a world-class side. He’s expected to arm Conte with a small fortune to spend on transfer this summer to prepare for the rigors of Champions League play next year.
As such, you wouldn’t expect Abramovich to hesitate to meet Conte’s demands. The two may quibble a little over the exact terms of the deal, but the manager has all of the leverage here. His summer departure would set back Chelsea significantly in their quest to dominate English football.
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Expect Antonio Conte to get the money he’s earned this summer. Chelsea know they have one of the best managers in the world, and they’ll pay Conte at that level. It’s the price of greatness and Abramovich and company know it.