Conte tense as Blues begin defence
Italian manager feels Chelsea are under strength as they begin their campaign against Burnley today
LONDON: Antonio Conte missed out on two of his top transfer targets, saw a key player sold against his wishes, and feels the current Chelsea squad is ill-equipped to handle the addition of the Champions League to its schedule.
No wonder the Italian coach cuts a frustrated figure heading into the start of Chelsea’s Premier League title defence.
Going into Saturday’s home match against Burnley, it could even be argued that Chelsea is beginning the season in a weaker position despite a spending around £140m. So much for building from a position of strength.
Will new striker Alvaro Morata be as effective up front as Diego Costa, who has been told by Conte via text message that he isn’t part of his plans? Is new midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko a significant upgrade on Nemanja Matic , who was sold to rival Manchester United in one of the most head-scratching moves of the summer window?
Chelsea was beaten to the signature of striker Romelu Lukaku by United, while Conte has also acknowledged that he tried to sign right back Kyle Walker, who ended up leaving Tottenham to join Manchester City.
It leaves Chelsea needing a new midfielder as well as reinforcements at wing back in the final days of the transfer window. Conte clearly wanted his squad in better shape at this stage, especially considering City and United — potentially Chelsea’s biggest challengers this season — have been more decisive in the transfer market. “It’s very important to try to find the right solution, to try to improve the squad,” Conte said this week at the Premier League launch.
MORATA TO SIT OUT Meanwhile, Chelsea’s record signing Morata is unlikely to start against Burnley because he has not adjusted to their style, Conte said on Friday.
“Alvaro is working well but he needs time to understand and adapt to our style of football, above all because he’s a striker. He is starting to understand what I want from him during games,” Conte said.