'I won't forget this': Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has no regrets over personal Jose Mourinho feud

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte insists he does not regret his part in the recent ugly and personal feud with Manchester United counterpart Jose Mourinho, while he also remains predictably coy on a potential surprise January move for West Ham United striker Andy Carroll.

A wholly undignified public spat between the managers of two of English football's biggest clubs escalated last week when Conte responded to comments about touchline "clowns" believed to be aimed at him and Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp by suggesting that his rival has senile dementia, although the club later insisted that he meant amnesia.

Mourinho answered back with a jibe about never being suspended for match-fixing, a reference to when Conte was handed a fourth-month ban in 2012-13 for allegedly failing to report fixing during his time in charge at Siena.

The Italian was later cleared of any wrongdoing in 2016.

Conte continued the quarrel after Saturday's (6 January) FA Cup draw at Norwich City by labelling the Portuguese as a "little man with a very low profile" as well as a "fake" for his previous support of Claudio Ranieri.

"I have this look, of a person that regrets? I don't think so," Conte said at a press conference held before Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg clash with Arsenal when asked if he regretted the war of words. "I think we both said things, and we'll see what happens in future."

Quizzed if he had been contacted by the League Managers Association (LMA) over the issue, he added: "I think it's not important, the association, you understand. It's not important. He said a serious words, using serious words. And I won't forget this. This is not a problem from the club, it's a problem between me and him. I stop."

Chelsea have already completed one new signing this month with the £15m ($20.2m) addition of Ross Barkley from Everton as well as loaning out the likes of Ike Ugbo and Jake Clarke-Salter, while reports recently suggested that Conte had identified Carroll as a potential new back-up to first-choice striker Alvaro Morata.

"As you know very well because I've said before, the club knows very well which positions we can improve," the boss reiterated when pressed again on Carroll. "But I repeat, I'm very happy to work with my players and the commitment of my players. Now there is the transfer market if there is the possibility to improve the squad, I think the club knows very well my opinions."

The arrival of a forward of Carroll's ilk could depend on the future of Morata's current deputy Michy Batshuayi, who is believed to be looking to leave Chelsea on loan this month in order to secure more regular first-team football in the build up to the World Cup.

It emerged yesterday that La Liga outfit Sevilla were interested in a six-month deal for the Belgian, yet Conte would only say that he is happy with his levels of commitment.

"He's a young player, he's a player he has a good future in front of him," he added, per football.london. "He has to continue to work in this way with commitment, for sure it's not simple to be young to play in a great team like Chelsea.

"I'm happy with his commitment, behaviour in training and when he's playing."