Antonio Conte only got one player he really wanted during the summer, a report suggests.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has demanded an overhaul of the current squad, according to a report in The Times.
This means that several of the players currently on the books are at risk of the axe, following a summer when N’Golo Kante was the only signing on the Italian’s wishlist who arrived at the club.
The report goes on to say that David Luiz and Marcos Alonso were emergency signings recruited late on in the transfer window, while Michy Batshuayi was identified by sporting director Michael Emenalo.
The Times reports that Nemanja Matic, Gary Cahill, Oscar and Branislav Ivanovic are said to be among the most vulnerable while Cesc Fabregas could be sold at the right price.
There has been plenty of speculation surrounding the future of Fabregas as he has struggled to nail down a starting place in Conte’s side, though the Chelsea boss has publicly stated that he is not interested in selling the Spaniard.
Chelsea had made a positive start to the season by winning their first three Premier League matches, but taking just the one point from their following three games has suggested there are areas that need to be addressed, and Conte is said to want to stamp out any complacency.
The report mentions that a creative midfielder will be a main target in the January transfer window, though the club feel that it will be difficult to do business.
As a result, it could be a difficult first season in charge at the club for Conte. He has the backing of Roman Abramovich for now it seems, but he will be aware of the Chelsea owner’s habit of sacking managers when things are not quite going according to plan.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
