Antonio Conte: 'Chelsea were never pursuing Celtic's Moussa Dembele'

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has rubbished reports that the club tried to launch a deadline-day move for Celtic striker Moussa Dembele.

It was widely reported that the Blues tried to lure the 20-year-old Frenchman to Stamford Bridge, but that Celtic would not entertain offers less than £40m.

The rumours intensified when Dembele was spotted travelling to London on Tuesday, but the Scottish club insisted that he was visiting the capital solely to undergo assessment on a knee injury that has kept him out of the last two games.

As the transfer clock ticked down, the move looked more unlikely, and the player himself seemed to indicate on Twitter that he had no plans to leave Celtic.

Conte has also played down reports by telling reporters that Chelsea never tabled a bid and their interest in Dembele was just "speculation".

The Italian coach made the claims in his post-match press conference following his side's 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday night.