Chelsea battled Manchester City to sign Kyle Walker from Tottenham this summer, reveals Antonio Conte

The Chelsea manager has admitted that Chelsea tried to buy Walker from their rivals this summer, but that they were not willing to match City's offer of £50m

Chelsea were in the running to sign Spurs full-back Walker (Getty)

Antonio Conte has revealed that Chelsea attempted to sign Kyle Walker from Tottenham Hotspur this summer, before the right-back eventually decided to move to Manchester City instead.

Walker was a first-team regular for Tottenham last season but fell out with manager Mauricio Pochettino, who had questions over his fitness levels and did not believe he could play two matches a week.

He left to join Manchester City this summer, for an initial fee of £45m which could rise to £50m.

And Conte has now revealed that Chelsea were also interested in signing the athletic full-back, who has played for England 27 times.

“We tried to buy Walker,” Conte said.

“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.”

Conte also said that he considers Walker’s former team-mate Harry Kane to be among the best players in the world.

“If I had to buy one striker I would go to Kane,” Conte said. “He is a complete striker. He is strong physically, with the ball, without the ball, he fights and he's strong in the air and acrobatic on the right and the left.

“He's a complete player. He's one of the top strikers in the world.”