Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has shared concerns aired by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger about the inflated prices of players in the transfer market this summer.
The Blues have been limited to signing N’Golo Kante and Michy Batshuayi so far this summer, while Conte is undoubtedly still in the market to help stamp his identity on the squad.
With a centre-back and striker still on his list before the deadline at the end of the month, it remains to be seen whether or not the Italian tactician brings in the players that he desires.
Speaking about the transfer market, it’s clear that he’s not impressed with today’s valuations of players as he is finding it difficult to land individuals that offer value-for-money.
“It’s very difficult to buy because, if you ask a player of the medium level, they might ask for £55 million,” he said, as reported by The Telegraph. “It’s very difficult to enter the market with these prices and in this condition.”
“No. I’m not comfortable. I don’t like to pay a lot of money. If a player deserves it, then it’s right. But for a medium player, it’s right to pay the right price, not £20 or £30 million over. That’s not right. We must be patient and wait. We need to sign some players.”
Given the criticism that Wenger receives for making similar statements, it remains to be seen what the overall reaction is to Conte’s remarks about the transfer market.
Taking them in isolation though, the former Juventus boss is arguably right to take such a stance and not give in to paying well over the odds for players that don’t warrant such fees.
However, with time running out and with Conte clearly very keen on bringing in more new faces between now and the deadline, it remains to be seen whether or not he sticks to his word or if the club is forced into paying high transfer fees to land their desired targets.