Conte wants major Chelsea shakeup, wants five new signings
The English media is abuzz this weekend, at least as far as Chelsea are concerned, with Antonio Conte’s supposed demands (“demands”!) that the Blues make four more signings before the transfer window slams shut at the end of August.
Some — for example: Telegraph — are reporting this matter of factly; others are putting a dramatic spin on it as they are wont to do. Here’s the Mirror with the juicy details.
New boss Conte laid out his demands in a stormy two-hour summit meeting with owner Abramovich, director Marina Granovskaia and technical director Michael Emenalo.
STORMY SUMMIT
Conte fears he will have no chance of leading Chelsea to the title if his squad is not drastically improved and wants new signings in ALL departments
FEAR; NO CHANCE
Abramovich is understood to have walked away from the talks looking less than impressed, according to witnesses.
DUN-DUN-DUN!
To illustrate this point, the Mirror then used a picture from five years ago : Abramovich looking disappointed with his trial proceedings against one-time friend and business partner Boris Berezovsky.
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Mirror using completely unrelated picture from 5 years ago to illustrate how unimpressed RA was with AC’s “demands
No other source had this tremendously dramatic scoop, so we can probably safely file this one under “Media campaign”.
In any case, with most saying that Conte wants four more additions (the Mirror says five, just to be extra special once again), just who might these players be?
Spoiler alert: no one knows. Just an excuse to round up the currently active rumors.
AC Milan’s Diego Lopez is rumored to be coming in as a backup goalkeeper (with Asmir Begovic heading off to Everton or wherever). Speaking of Everton, they might also be outbidding Chelsea for Kalidou Koulibaly, while fellow Serie A defender Kostas Manolas is also overpiced and even less available. (psst: Shkodran Mustafi might be available). Despite signing Batshuayi, Chelsea continue to be linked with strikers such as Alvaro Morata and Romelu Lukaku. Both also overpriced.
This would leave one, maybe two more signings but no one has a clue who those may be. Maybe a full back? Maybe another midfielder or winger (Antonio Candreva rumors were hotting up for a while)? Your guess is as good as anyone else’s.
Conte made a big deal over the past week or so about Chelsea operating under non-panic buying conditions (and that he’s regularly talking with the Chelsea brass about all this). We’re willing to wait for the “right players”. Setting demands of the sort that the media would have us believe doesn’t quite fit this scenario.
Weain’tgotnohistory