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Chelsea were linked with former Tottenham defender Kyle Walker, but the England international eventually joined Manchester City in a deal worth £45 million.

Chelsea are in the market for wing-backs and Antonio Conte has admitted that he tried signing the 27-year-old Walker from Tottenham, but the player was too expensive.

“If you want Walker, you know that Walker is expensive. We tried to buy Walker,” Conte told the Evening Standard.

“Honestly, I think now every single player is expensive. For you to even enquire about one player, he is expensive.

“You go to buy a right-back, a left-back or a central defender and he is expensive. It is very difficult in the transfer market for the teams that need to improve their squads.”