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Antonio Conte: I do not want Diego Costa to follow these two Chelsea players to China
ANTONIO CONTE has wished John Obi Mikel well on his move to China but hopes he will not lose any more Chelsea players to the Far East clubs.
Antonio Conte does not want to lose any more Chelsea stars to China
Chelsea duo John Obi Mikel and Oscar have both completed moves to the Chinese Super League this month.
Oscar tied up a £60million deal with Shanghai SIPG in late December while Mikel made his switch to Tianjin Teda today.
And Antonio Conte has wished the long-serving Nigeria international well at his new club.
John Obi Mikel has joined Chinese side Tianjin Teda
Oscar arrives in China after £60m move from Chelsea
"It's important to say thanks to Obi for this period he worked with me. He showed always a great attitude," Conte said.
"I wish him and his family all the best. He played many years with this club and he was a really important player.
"I think there are moments when you want to change, to find a new experience. For this reason I wish him the best."
However, having already lost Mikel and Oscar to China this month, Conte hopes the Chinese Super League clubs will stop tempting his players away with big-money offers.
I hope that the offers from China finish with Mikel and Oscar
Costa has been the latest Stamford Bridge star to be linked with a move to the Far East, with a reported £80million deal in the pipeline but Conte is hopeful he will stay put.
"I hope that with Mikel, we've finished with China for now," Conte added.
"I hope that the offers from China finish with Mikel and Oscar. It's important now to remain with this squad."
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