Blues to seal Bakayoko, Lukaku deals
LONDON. — English soccer champions Chelsea are hopeful of finalising deals for Tiemoue Bakayoko and Romelu Lukaku soon.
Antonio Conte is looking to make six signings this summer and has identified Lukaku as a priority target, while he hopes to partner Bakayoko with N’Golo Kante in midfield next season.
The Blues have already agreed terms with free agent Willy Caballero and the 35-year-old keeper’s arrival is expected to be confirmed on July 1.
Chelsea also need a centre half, but an agreement for first choice target Virgil van Dijk is unlikely after Southampton made it clear the Dutchman is not for sale.
Conte is keen on Juventus centre half Leonardo Bonucci and has also asked for another attacking midfielder, with Riyad Mahrez’s situation at Leicester being monitored.
Conte initially wanted Dries Mertens, but the Belgium international signed a contract extension with Napoli in May.
And Chelsea’s attempts to appease their manager, Conte, will see them step up efforts to strengthen the first-team squad this week with an improved bid anticipated for Alex Sandro at Juventus and progress in the protracted pursuit of Monaco’s Bakayoko.
Conte, who is on holiday back in Italy, had anticipated the English Premier League soccer winners making early moves in the transfer market as they prepare to return to the Champions League after a season-long absence.
The lack of progress is understood to have deeply frustrated the 47-yearold, who has yet to commit to the contract extension that has been on the table since the end of the season and would establish him as the highest paid manager in the club’s history.
The relationship between manager and board has also been severely tested by Conte’s decision to inform Diego Costa, by text, that he is not in the club’s plans. The Spain forward subsequently made that information public and in the process, alerted other clubs to the fact Chelsea are eager to sell him, undermining their bargaining position. Costa’s situation has complicated plans to strengthen, with no deal in place as yet to re-sign Romelu Lukaku from Everton — who want a world-record fee for the Belgium striker — as a replacement.
Yet Chelsea, who have made it clear to Conte that their established strategy in the market will not shift, are confident any tension can be allayed well before players and staff return to Cobham for pre-season training in the first week of July, with significant signings expected to be secured by then. The Juventus general manager, Beppe Marotta, indicated over the weekend that an initial offer for Sandro had been rejected. “But I don’t know what he (Sandro) thinks about the interest,” Marotta said. “Players are masters of their own destinies.”
An improved bid worth up to £55m, which would constitute a Chelsea club record, is anticipated in the days ahead, with that likely to prove more appealing even for a key member of the Juve side who won a sixth successive Serie A title but lost the Champions League final this month.
Sandro, who has seven caps for Brazil, was formerly at Porto, with Conte having earmarked him early as a potential upgrade on Marcos Alonso at left wing-back. The Italian is seeking to add greater depth in quality in virtually all areas of the team, and has already made it clear he is prepared to make ruthless decisions even in the wake of his squad’s eye-catching efforts last term. — The Evening Standard