Conte: Begovic can leave Chelsea if replacement is found

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte says backup goalkeeper Asmir Begovic can leave the club and find more consistent playing time elsewhere so long as the Blues can find a suitable replacement beforehand.

"Begovic is a Chelsea player and I'm happy to have him in the squad," Conte told reporters on Friday, as quoted by BBC Sport. "I'm happy with his commitment on and off the pitch. He's important in the changing room. Only if we have a good substitution he can go, otherwise he stays here."

The 29-year-old Bosnia and Herzegovina international has been linked with a move to Bournemouth in recent days as a replacement for 36-year-old Artur Boruc, but that move won't happen until Chelsea finds a reliable No. 2.

"First of all I want to say that Asmir is an important player for me, on and off the pitch. A really important player. He knows this," Conte said earlier in the week, as quoted by the Guardian.

"Yes, there is this offer and we are evaluating this offer. But it's important to find the right solution for Asmir, for the club, for me, because I repeat he's a really important player for me on and off the pitch. It's important to find the right solution before he goes away."

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Begovic joined Chelsea in 2015 for a reported £8-million fee and despite being a natural starter for Stoke City, he was resigned to a bench role behind Belgian shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois at Stamford Bridge.

His time on the field has been limited to a few stretches where he filled in for an injured or suspended Courtois, the longest coming in 2015 when Courtois tore his meniscus and was ruled out for 17 league fixtures between September and December.

Begovic has featured just four times this season, making three League Cup appearances and also minding the posts in an FA Cup third-round fixture.