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Publication date: Wednesday April 29, 2020 8:30
Liverpool stars Virgil van Dijk and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have rejected transfers to Chelsea due to concerns about Antonio Conte, it has been said.
A report on Athletic, broadcast on the Metro, says the Blues made moves for the duo in the summer of 2017, right after Conte had led Chelsea to the league title in his first season in charge.
However, both van dijk and Oxlade-Chamberlain, of Southampton and Arsenal respectively at the time, chose not to move to Stamford Bridge as they were ‘put off’ by the fierce temperament of the Italian manager, while also unsure how long he would remain in charge amid reports of disharmony between Conte and Chelsea’s council.
This happened at the same time that van Dijk had submitted a transfer request to the saints while trying to force his move to Anfield, while Oxlade-Chamberlain sought to get away from the Emirates to find playing time in his preferred role in midfield.
Chelsea really had £ 30 million offer accepted for English just a few days before that year’s summer window slammed shut, only to have Liverpool swoop in and sign it under their noses on the due date.
The report also states that “Ox” was concerned that Conte would attempt to make him a backward wing if he traded Arsenal for Chelsea, while Jurgen Klopp He had ensured that he would be given the opportunity to play in the center of the park if he moved to Liverpool, which proved to be the deciding factor in his decision.
Of course, van Dijk finally sealed his move to the Reds as well, signing just a few months later for £ 75 million, breaking the record for the highest fee paid by a defender.
Since then, the pair have won a Champions League title, while van Dijk was also named the Premier League and PFA Player of the Year after a nearly flawless season in 2018/19.
They were also within safe weeks Liverpool’s First league title in 30 years before soccer was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, his concerns regarding Conte proved correct, as the now-head of Inter Milan spent a troubled year with Chelsea before being fired at the end of the 2017/18 season.
READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp gives Liverpool a great advantage in the race to sign RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner, according to a popular expert.
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