Conte talking time frames regarding Oscar transfer
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.
“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”.