Chelsea target Alvaro Morata to replace Diego Costa, Joe Hart won't return to Manchester City and more

All the latest transfer news and rumours on Wednesday 18 January, 2017

Hart is believed to be keen on a Premier League return (Getty)

While the Diego Costa saga which erupted last week looks like it is starting to settle down after clear-the-air talks on Tuesday, manager Antonio Conte is still planning for the Chelsea striker’s departure from the club.

The Daily Telegraph report that Conte will reignite his interest in Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, should Costa, as is looking increasingly likely, return to Atletico Madrid.

Conte was in for the Spaniard when he moved to Madrid last summer with Costa wanting to rejoin his former club but the move did not materialise, with the Champions League winners wanting more than £60m for Morata.

The Blues will also enquire about former striker Romelu Lukaku’s availability from Everton, should Costa leave Stamford Bridge, say the Mirror.

ESPN claim that despite Manchester City’s goalkeeping woes, Joe Hart – who is currently on loan at Serie A side Torino – still believes he has played his last game for the club.

Hart’s loan spell ends in the summer and while he is likely to return to the Premier League, he does not expect it to be with City, even though his replacement Claudio Bravo is struggling terribly behind Pep Guardiola’s shaky defence.

Premier League winner Leonardo Ulloa wants to leave champions Leicester City after falling down the pecking order following the arrival of Islam Slimani in the summer, report the Daily Express.

West Brom, Hull, Sunderland and Swansea are all believed to be interested in signing the 30-year-old.

The Daily Express also claim that AC Milan will tell Serie A giants AC Milan on Wednesday whether they want to keep winger Gerard Deulofeu or sell the 22-year-old to the San Siro side.

Milan have already told the Toffees they cannot buy the winger in January, with their takeover still not completed, but can loan him for the rest of the season and purchase him permanently in the summer.