With Premier League champions Chelsea already having already made four additions to their squad, the Telegraph recently reported that Antonio Conte will be allocated an additional £250 million to further strengthen his squad.
However, if Conte does manage to get the signatures of his rumoured signings, will they be in the starting line-up at home to Burnley on the opening day of the season?
Alex Sandro
Conte has been in heavy pursuit to sign the 26-year old Brazilian from Juventus, as an alternative to current left-back, Marcos Alonso.
Chelsea have reportedly already had two bids rejected, one in the region of £56 million and another for around £61 million, with Juventus reluctant to sell. After losing Leonardo Bonucci to AC Milan, the clubs general director said that they “do not want to sell anymore of their best players”, according to Sky.
According to reports, Chelsea would have to offer £70-£75 million to sign Sandro, which could break their transfer record of £70 million – recently broken by Alvaro Morata.
When going forward, Sandro averages 1.8 dribbles per game, compared to the 0.7 dribbles completed by Alonso, and also had a passing accuracy of 84.6% compared to Alonso’s 77.8%.
On the defensive front, Sandro made more successful tackles per game as well as interceptions, meaning that Sandro was far less beaten by his opponent.
Verdict – Starting left-back.
Antonio Candreva
With Conte keeping a close eye on Inter Milan’s Antonio Candreva, is it really a possibility for him to get a starting position ahead of Eden Hazard, Pedro and Willian?
The 30-year old right-winger has already had experience under Conte when playing for the Italian international side. Reports of a £20 million bid would be enough to put pen-to-paper, however, Sky Sports have reported that the player’s agent has said, “there is a 80% chance Candreva will stay at the San Siro“.
Still, with Chelsea back in the Champions League this season, squad depth is an area that Conte is keen to improve.
Within 36 Serie A league starts, Candreva scored six goals and provided 10 assists, making him a very viable option for Chelsea.
Verdict – Squad rotation player.
Fernando Llorente
Fernando Llorente helped fire Swansea City to Premier League safety last season in a £5 million move. With Conte clearly keen on the Spaniard, having tried to sign him last January, would the 32-year-old start ahead of both Morata and Michy Batshuayi?
Conte worked with Llorente during the pair’s time at Juventus, the Telegraph have said that Conte is keen to bring the Spaniard to London as back-up for Morata.
Llorente managed 15 goals during his 33 games for survivors Swansea City, which is quite an impressive tally. Both Llorente and Batshuayi would be excellent alternatives to Morata.
Verdict – Squad rotation player.
