CONTE WANTS A CASH SPLASH
Ant in hint to Roman
ANTONIO CONTE has called on Chelsea to spend big in the January transfer window.
The champions already trail runaway leaders Manchester City by 14 points.
And Conte wants billionaire owner Roman Abramovich to splash the cash next month in a bid to close the gap.
Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk is understood to still be a major target, especially if David Luiz is allowed to leave, with Arsenal leading the hunt for the out-of-favour Brazilian.
Monaco’s Thomas Lemar, Ross Barkley Alex Sandro of Everton, and Bayer Juventus Leverkusen ace attacker Leon Bailey are all potential signings.
Conte also vowed to ignore reports linking his own big-name stars, such as Eden Hazard, with moves away.
“We must be ready to face this situation,” said the Blues boss. “I think the best way for me is not to read and only talk with the club, and then to try to improve our squad if this is possible.
“If, I repeat, this is possible. But there will be a lot of rumours now.
“We must be ready to face them, while at the same time be ready to be focused and go game by game.
“We play every three days, so it is not right that these rumours disturb us.” Conte will be without his top striker Alvaro Morata for tomorrow’s clash at Everton. The Spain ace was booked for the fifth time this season for his celebrations after scoring the last-ditch winner in Wednesday’s 2-1 Carabao Cup victory over Bournemouth.
Kicking
It had been claimed Morata, whose wife Alice is due to give birth, was cautioned by referee Lee Mason for sticking the ball under his shirt in a dad-to-be gesture.
But Morata was actually punished for kicking the ball away. “It’s a pity,” said Conte. “Morata should have played against Everton.
“He would have started the game, for sure. But now I have to prepare a different plan.”
Chelsea have won their last four games against Everton, scoring 12 goals and conceding just one.
But Conte insisted the Toffees, who have been revitalised under Sam Allardyce, would be no easy pickings at Goodison.
“Everton are a really good team, a really good squad,” he said.
“In the last five games, they won four games.
“This means that, at this moment, they are in a good moment of form.”