Conte talking time frames regarding Oscar transfer

Antonio Conte: Keeping quiet over Oscar

Antonio Conte: Keeping quiet over Oscar

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has remained tight-lipped over Oscar’s future amid speculation he could be set for a big-money move to China.

Reports on Wednesday suggested that the 25-year-old is being lined up for a £52million swoop by Shanghai SIPG and the player himself claimed the deal was almost over the line.

The Brazil playmaker has fallen out of favour under Conte, and confirmed his impending departure when asked.

“It’s 90 per cent certain,” he told SporTV . “It just depends on a few bureaucratic details.”

The out-of-favour midfielder was not in the Chelsea 18 for the 1-0 Premier League win at Sunderland on Wednesday evening and asked about his situation afterwards, Conte was coy.

He said: “The situation with Oscar, I think it will be clearer in the next days.

“Oscar started the season very well with us when we played with a 4-3-3 and he played very well. Then when I switched to another system, another formation, he didn’t play a lot. But I always counted on him because Oscar is a really good player.

“He’s young, but sometimes there are situations that are very difficult to face. But I repeat, in the next days, the situation will be clearer than now.”

Sky Sports have reported that Oscar, who has not started a Premier League game since September, is not willing to make the move to Asia.

They “understand that Oscar would rather stay at Chelsea and fight for his first-team place”.