Chelsea playmaker Oscar has struggled to break back into Antonio Conte’s plans in recent weeks, but the Brazilian is going nowhere says his boss.
The 25-year-old has made just nine appearances so far this season in all competitions, with his last Premier League start coming back on September 16 in the defeat to Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
As a result, doubts have emerged over his future in west London with reports that Inter are keen to try and prise him away from the Blues.
According to the Evening Standard, the Serie A giants are interested in having another go at signing him after failing in 2012, and it would take an offer of around £25m to tempt Chelsea into selling.
However, Conte has insisted that he doesn’t expect the Brazilian international to leave the club any time soon and wants him to stay.
“Oscar’s future is Chelsea, full stop,” said Conte, as noted in the report. “For me Oscar is an important player in the squad.
“For me he stays at Chelsea. It’s important this message arrives for all. Oscar will stay with us because I consider him an important player for Chelsea.”
Whether or not that’s enough to convince the creative playmaker to stay remains to be seen, as he’ll undoubtedly want regular playing time moving forward.
If that’s something that Conte can’t promise him, then perhaps an exit will be on the cards at the end of the season. The Italian tactician has favoured other options over the last two months, and in his defence, they’ve been playing extremely well and have made it difficult for Oscar to justify being brought back in.
Chelsea are on a five-game winning streak in the league and have no reason to change their line-up unless forced into it. In turn, Oscar will have to continue to bide his time and wait for his opportunity to impress.