Chelsea are closing in on both Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko and Juventus left-back Alex Sandro as they step up their efforts to finally land their first signing of the summer.
during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Watford at Stamford Bridge, London, England on 15 May 2017.
(Photo by Kieran Galvin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Antonio Conte has grown increasingly frustrated with the Blues’ lack of transfer activity and had expected the club to have confirmed several new arrivals already.
According to the Guardian, the lack of progress on the transfer front has greatly frustrated the 47-year-old as rumours have grown of a fall out with the club’s hierarchy.
A new contract offer had been on the table for several months but he is yet to sign, and Chelsea hope their show of strength in the transfer market will get their manager back on side.
The Italian reports back to first-team training in the first week of July and Chelsea hope to have two new signings waiting for him when he returns.
Juventus will be offered a new and improved £55 million fee for Sandro, which the club are confident will be accepted.
Some at the club had questioned the need to spend so much on a left-back when Marcos Alonso impressed so much last term, but Conte sees the Brazilian as a huge upgrade and intends to be utterly ruthless in improving his squad this summer.
Bakayoko, meanwhile, has long been a target and Chelsea are confident a deal of around £40m will be wrapped up shortly.
His arrival would not automatically result in Nemanja Matic leaving the club, but it is a possibility, while Willy Caballero is also expected to join on a free transfer as backup to Thibaut Courtois.
