Ex-Chelsea boss Conte held talks over Leeds job

Former Chelsea head coach reportedly held talks over a potential shock move to join Leeds United in the Championship earlier this summer.

Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani has revealed that he held ambitious talks with Conte, former Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri and Roberto Martinez, who guided Belgium to a third-place finish at the World Cup.

The Championship side caught the headlines earlier this summer when they appointed Marcelo Bielsa, something that is considered as a major coup for the club.

Radrizzani said he was ready to offer the former Chelsea boss an eye-catching €20 million to lure him to the Championship.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, as cited on Sport Witness, Radrizzani discussed his ambitious plans for the club.

Conte, with him, [promotion to the] Premier League [would have been] safe. I would have offered 20 million. Then, I had an interview with Ranieri. He was flattered by our interest, but he declined as he was waiting for a call from the national team. I also talked to Martinez, but Belgium was an obstacle.

Conte left Chelsea this summer after two years at Stamford Bridge, where he won the Premier League and the FA Cup, before being replaced by Maurizio Sarri.