CONTE’S CROWN JEWELS

Italian plotting £220M splurge on Europe’s top talent in bid to retain Prem AND win Champions League

WITH Diego Costa on his way out, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has begun planning a major shake-up at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian, promised a monster summer transfer kitty by Roman Abramovich to keep him out of the clutches of Inter Milan, has told his squad he wants a successful title defence next season – and a serious tilt at the Champions League.

The Chelsea boss was able to fire off that fateful text message to Costa last week because a £70million move for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku is all but complete.

And a £40m move for Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko is also understood to be so advanced that Blues believe they could have it wrapped up by the end of next week.

The new jewel in the Chelsea crown next season, however, could be Paris SaintGermain’s Italian playmaker Marco Verratti. Conte tried and failed to land the £70m-rated 24-year-old during his time at Juventus.

Now he is set for another crack, with Verratti so intent on leaving France that he has already told PSG sports director Antero Henrique of his decision.

Barcelona have a longstanding interest in the the Italian international but Conte believes he’s in pole position to land the PSG star.

The Chelsea futures of Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas are already in doubt.

Fabregas has made it clear that he does not want to be on the bench in World Cup year while Matic could be used as a makeweight should Conte pursue a deal for Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci.

Conte, who led Juve to three successive Serie A titles before taking over the Italian national team, will have more defensive options next term because of the return from loan of rising star Andreas Christensen.

The 21-year-old Denmark international has been on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach for the past two years but Chelsea believe he is now ready for Premier League action.

Following talks with Blues technical director Michael Emanalo, Christensen said: “I will join up with Chelsea on July 7.

“The plan is that I return to the squad and go through the preseason.”

Conte (left) is keen to strengthen his options at left-back with a move for Bonucci’s team-mate, Alex Sandro.

But he is not prepared to meet Juve’s £52m asking price for the highly-rated 26-year-old, who has three years left on his contract.