Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Mauro Icardi and Thiago Maia

Antonio Conte has turned his attention toward Inter striker Mauro Icardi after a failed attempt to bring Romelu Lukaku back to Chelsea, per Alex Harris of the Daily Star.

The former Italy manager is a noted fan of the Argentine forward who is valued at £50 million, having watched him on a firsthand basis during his time in Serie A as Juventus head coach.

Conte had hoped to lure Belgium international Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge, but Everton have stood firm in their desire to keep hold of the 23-year-old. According to Harris, Chelsea were reportedly ready to offer the Merseyside club £65 million in order to reacquire the player's services, after leaving the club for £28 million back in 2014. 

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But new head coach Ronald Koeman felt no need to allow the attacker to depart Goodison Park and will have felt pressure to keep hold of the Toffees' main goalscoring threat following the exit of John Stones earlier this week. Per BBC Sport, the England international defender joined Pep Guardiola at Manchester City for a fee of £47.5 million, leaving Everton with a bumper windfall.

Goal's Chelsea correspondent, Nizaar Kinsella, captured a fan's minor protest at the proposed Lukaku move during pre-season:

The option to recruit Icardi appears an attractive solution. The 23-year-old front man has become a leader on and off the field for the Nerazzurri during the previous 12 months, establishing himself as the club's biggest threat in the final third of the field. Per WhoScored.com, Icardi has scored 38 goals in the past two Serie A campaigns, but the team's league positions have not replicated that strong individual form.

WhoScored.com noted the attacking importance of the Argentine to Inter: 

Roberto Mancini was relieved of his managerial duties this week after ongoing disputes with the club's new Chinese investors and was ultimately replaced by Dutchman Ronald de Boer following Inter's 6-1 rout by Tottenham Hotspur in a pre-season friendly. 

De Boer will be eager for Icardi to remain at the San Siro to help his transition into Italian football. However, Conte is intent on adding to his strike force, with £33 million summer signing Michy Batshuayi purchased for the future, per Harris.

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Elsewhere, Santos president Modesto Roma has arrived in London to complete the £15 million negotiations with Chelsea for defensive midfielder Thiago Maia, per Simon Johnson of the Evening Standard.

The 19-year-old is currently representing Brazil at the 2016 Rio Olympics, with the Premier League club set to complete a move for the youngster following the completion of the summer tournament.

Despite Brazil's disappointing start to their Olympics campaign, Maia impressed Brazilian football expert Rupert Fryer with his display against Ecuador: 

Conte has already recruited N'Golo Kante in this close-season to shore up his midfield ranks, with the former Leicester City destroyer joining the club for a reported £30 million, per Alan Smith of the Guardian. It is believed Ligue 1 heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in the Brazilian midfielder and will contest Chelsea for Maia's signature.