Chelsea fail with £63m bid for Italian striker

Premier League holders Chelsea have failed with a £63m approach to sign Torino striker Andrea Belotti this summer. Blues boss Antonio Conte is on the hunt for a new marksman despite recruiting Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid in a club-record deal.

Morata fared well in his league debut against Burnley where he scored a goal, but Conte still wants competition for places with Michy Batshuayi drawing blank in recent outings.

The Belgium international was one of the most in-form players during the Blues' pre-season tour of Asia, but he has failed to find the net in both the Community Shield and the Premier League opener.

According to Metro, the Blues have had a £63m offer rebuffed for Belotti, who notched 28 goals across all competitions for Torino last season.

The Turin-based club are intent on keeping hold of their main striker, and the Blues will have to come up with a fresh bid of at least £88m in order to trigger the release clause in his contract.

The former Palermo man has become a regular with Italy over the past year with four goals scored in nine caps for the Azzurri.