Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Rumours After Antonio Conte Appointed Manager

Chelsea’s next manager Antonio Conte is reportedly facing a fight to keep Diego Costa at the club this summer, and the Blues are said to be considering Edinson Cavani and Gonzalo Higuain as potential replacements.

As noted by Dominic Fifield of the Guardian, Costa has been reportedly encouraged by interest from Atletico Madrid for his services, while Paris Saint-Germain have also been "sounded out" over a possible move. It’s stated that the striker "has grown weary at the regular scrutiny of his on-field discipline in English football."

The aforementioned duo have both been noted as potential targets should the Spain international leave the club, and Fifield also notes that Chelsea’s technical director, Michael Emenalo, is "understood to be intent on exploring the chances of re-signing Romelu Lukaku from Everton."

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Here is a statistical breakdown of how these four forwards compare in their respective league games this season:

	Costa	Cavani	Higuain	Lukaku
Apps (Sub)	23 (1)	21 (7)	31	30
Goals	11	14	30	18
Assists	5	3	2	6
Shots per game	2.5	2.6	5.4	3.4
Key passes per game	1	0.7	1.4	1.6
Dribbles per game	1.4	0.5	1.5	1.1

The Blues confirmed the appointment of Conte, who will take over after his commitments with Italy at Euro 2016 have finished this summer, on their official website on Monday. And it seems finding the right man to lead the line will be high up on his agenda once he takes the job on.

Costa, of course, is a player the Italian would love to have. While he toiled for a long time under Jose Mourinho this season, the appointment of interim boss Guus Hiddink has brought the best out of the 27-year-old again. This statistic from OptaJoe suggests his reputation as a bad boy may be a little harsh at times, too:

Still, Conte will not want a player at the club operating in such a crucial role who wants to leave, so it would be surprising to see him retain the striker if Costa is looking for a transfer. Finding an appropriate replacement would be difficult, though.

Cavani is a player who seems well-equipped to cope with the physical demands of English football. Here’s a look at what he could offer:

There are some similarities between him and Costa. While Cavani isn’t as aggressive as the Blues striker, they’re both burly, hard-working forwards who are capable of scoring all different kinds of goals.

The Uruguay international continues to play second fiddle to Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the Parc des Princes, although the Swede’s contract expires at the end of the campaign.

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Higuain would take Chelsea in a different direction. The Napoli man isn’t as reliant on physicality when compared with the aforementioned pair, with quick darts in the penalty area key to him getting so many chances.

As noted here by Bleacher Report UK, his finishing when in these positions has been superb this season, too:

Lukaku would be the best signing in terms of longevity, as he’s already a thoroughbred goalscorer despite his tender years. 

The 22-year-old was sold to Everton from Chelsea in the summer of 2014 for £28 million, and according to Fifield, the club would have to spend big money to get him back again, with the Toffees set to "resist his sale."

However, given his stellar form this term and the improvements he still has to make, the Belgium international could well be worth the outlay.

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Alex Shaw of ESPN FC thinks Lukaku still has a lot of developing to do, which is an ominous prospect for Premier League defenders:

It’s a decision that Conte will have think carefully about. Costa may not have been as effective as in his debut term, but he’s a player who offers so much to a side in terms of goals, strength, industry and a dash of nastiness that every team needs.

The Spain international would be extremely difficult to replace if he were to depart, although it’s easy to see why a return to Atletico, where he’s a deistic figure, would appeal.

Of the trio of reported targets, Cavani is perhaps the most attainable, especially if Ibrahimovic does end up committing his future to Paris Saint-German for next season.

Conte will know the former Palermo and Napoli striker well after their paths crossed in Serie A, and although there are still some rough edges to the 29-year-old’s game, he’s someone who could thrive in English football with the right guidance.