Chelsea draw up five-man transfer shortlist as Antonio Conte to add to £100m-plus summer spending spree

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Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is reportedly set to be given the green light to spend big in the next two transfer windows to strengthen his squad further.

With the help of a switch to the much-heralded 3-4-3 system, the Italian tactician has overcome a sticky patch at Stamford Bridge and guided his men to five consecutive wins to put them right back into the mix at the top of the Premier League table.

That has sat well with owner Roman Abramovich, who according to The Express, has agreed to back his coach’s plans to rebuild the squad and spend significant money to bring in the players that he desires.

The Daily Star note that the former Juventus and Italy boss spent over £100m in the summer transfer window, bringing in the likes of N’Golo Kante, Michy Batshuayi, David Luiz and Marcos Alonso.

However, that appears to be just the start of the Conte revolution, as he wants to build on the impressive overall start that the club has made to the campaign and avoid slipping up between now and the end of the season by spending in January.

According to The Express, Abramovich has already signed off on making a major offer for Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci.

The Italian giants are not keen to sell in January or next summer though, so Antonio Rudiger of Roma and Burnley’s Michael Keane are also paired with a move to Stamford Bridge.

Meanwhile, the midfield is still an area that Conte evidently wants to strengthen, as he looks for tactical flexibility and versatile players that will allow him to continue to change the system and shape of his team.

Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan and Inter ace Marcelo Brozovic remain on the list of possible targets, as noted in the report, and so it appears as though Chelsea will try their luck again in January to try and bring in new faces.

With John Obi Mikel and Branislav Ivanovic seeing their contracts expire at the end of the season, coupled with the likes of Cesc Fabregas losing their place in the team, it’s fair to say that there will be further movement in the coming transfer windows at Stamford Bridge.

More Stories Antonio Conte Antonio Rudiger Leonardo Bonucci Marcelo Brozovic Michael Keane Radja Nainggolan