Chelsea manager rules out reunion with Juventus defender

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has ruled out a January move to reunite with Juventus centre-back Giorgio Chiellini.

Conte wants to bolster his squad this month and reports had emerged suggesting the Chelsea boss wanted to prise Chiellini to Stamford Bridge.

The Chelsea head coach worked with Chiellini during his time as Italy and Juventus head coach but Conte believes the 33-year-old is destined to finish his career with the Old Lady.

“[There’s] a lot of speculation. It’s normal when the transfer window starts. It’s a difficult moment for every club,” The Daily Star quote Conte as saying at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

“Some speculation is true, some is only speculation. For us I think we must be very focused on our target. Giorgio is a fantastic player but I think he wants to finish his career at Juventus.”

David Luiz’s future at Chelsea remains unclear after falling out with Conte but he will only be allowed to leave if the Blues can sign a replacement.

Since August 2009, only Davide Astori (774) and Dario Danielle (669) have completed more interceptions than Chiellini in Serie A (640).