Chelsea has found itself in a tight position as the club is scrambling in the final hours to land quality talent to deliver depth to the squad. The board is attempting to please Antonio Conte, but doing so at the last minute could push the manager to seek an exit in the future.
The club had several months to prepare and acquire the right players, and the Blues have done that, but not to a significant degree. For a team that is looking to retain its English Premier League title and potentially takes home the UEFA Champions League trophy, actions have been sluggish.
New players needed to add depth
Here’s the thing, Chelsea only managed to sign players for the purpose of replacing those who have left the club. Antonio Conte realizes that his squad needs more depth if it wants to stay competitive in two major competitions this season, but the board decided to drag their legs.
It’s late now, and as such, the Blues are struggling to sign new players. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has snubbed the club for Liverpool after Chelsea agreed to a deal with Arsenal, so now Conte is hoping to land Llorente, Barkley, and Drinkwater as quickly as possible
Fernando Llorente is a Swansea player who is 32-years-old, which simply means, should he come to Stanford Bridge, he may only play for a single year.
Not to mention, his potential move could cause grave consequences for Michy Batshuayi. The 23-year-old has been trying his best to impress Antonio Conte, but his failings could see him pushed to the side in favor of Llorente.
It’s sad because Batshuayi is aggressive on the ball, more so than Alvaro Morata.
Now then, as for Ross Barkley, he’s a young star midfielder at Everton, but it appears as if the club has no intention of letting him leave.
Everton rejected a $32 million dollar offer from Chelsea because to the club, Barkley is worth $64 million.
Honestly, that’s quite steep for a player such as Barkley, so expect a reduced cost before Thursday night.
Drinkwater, the likely candidate
Finally, it’s time to talk about another midfielder, Danny Drinkwater. He wants to leave Leicester City for Chelsea, and for a good reason.
The club has fallen from grace after winning the league title two years ago. Things are not moving in the right direction, so it makes sense for him to seek a move.
Not to mention, he has Champions League experience, so it would be ideal for Chelsea to have him on the team as a first team player to push the others forward.