Chelsea are being tipped to announce a contract extension for manager Antonio Conte once the Premier League title has been wrapped up. It comes after recent claims that the Italian is homesick in England and is being targeted by clubs in his homeland.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Chelsea are 'confident' that an agreement with Conte will be reached. It is said that club officials are keen not to prematurely distract from the ongoing title chase, but are keen to reward the 47-year-old for his huge impact since the summer.
The Telegraph report speaks of a 'significant rise' to his existing £6.5m annual salary, while the Daily Mail has gone one step further and states that Conte is in line to now earn £8m-per-year.
It has been said that newly wealthy Inter Milan are ready to make Conte a lucrative offer to return to Serie A - he won three consecutive scudetto with Juventus between 2011 and 2014 - but Chelsea seem confident he will stay in London.
The Mail report makes it clear that Chelsea want the offer of a new deal to be seen as a reward for what Conte has achieved at Stamford Bridge, somewhat unexpectedly so this soon into his reign, rather than a reaction to the murmurs of a better offer from Italy.
Chelsea currently sit 10 points clear at the top of the Premier League with just 11 games left to play. At this late stage of the campaign it would take an unprecedented collapse - even greater than Newcastle in 1995/96 - for the Premier League trophy to end up anywhere else.
Conte even still has a chance of matching fellow countryman Carlo Ancelotti and delivering a league and FA Cup double in his first season. Chelsea will face Manchester United and former boss Jose Mourinho in the FA quarter finals on Monday night.
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