adminLONDON. — Chelsea’s players are desperate for new signings to arrive to avoid complacency setting in at Stamford Bridge.
Some of Antonio Conte ’s stars want fresh faces brought in over the final two weeks of this summer’s transfer window, to ensure nobody at the champions is certain of their place and everyone is kept on their toes.
The Blues’ failure to sufficiently strengthen ahead of the 2015-16 season was a big factor in a dismal title defence. They were hovering just above the drop zone when manager Jose Mourinho was sacked in December 2015 before eventually finishing in 10th. There are now dressing-room fears about how this campaign might pan out if Conte’s championship-winning squad isn’t bolstered sufficiently to prevent some players resting on their laurels.
These concerns about Blues stars taking their foot off the gas will intensify the focus on the club’s business in the rest of the window.
Owner Roman Abramovich is trying to give the squad a lift with a £120m spree that would add Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Leicester’s Danny Drinkwater to the midfield and Virgil van Dijk of Southampton in central defence. The Blues also haven’t yet given up on Juventus left-back Sandro.
Chelsea have had a frustrating summer compounded by the saga surrounding top-sscorer Diego Costa saga and starting the season without injured star-man Eden Hazard.
They lost out over Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United and then sold Nemanja Matic to the same club — seemingly against Conte’s wishes. While four players – Willy Caballero, Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Alvaro Morata – have come in they are replacements, rather than additions to the squad.
Youngsters Andreas Christensen, Jeremie Boga and Charly Musonda have further beefed up Conte’s squad after loan spells last season, while eight members of last season’s first-team squad have left either permanently or on loan. — The Mirror
Online Reporter