New Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte is looking to bolster his midfield options in the approaching transfer window. According to a number of reports from Turkey and Italy, the Blues have already tabled bids for Hakan Calhanoglu and Milan Badelj.
There’s no denying that Conte’s commendable 3-4-3 formation has picked up endless applause even from the pickiest pundits out there. With six victories on the bounce without letting a goal in, they currently sit at the top of the league, a single point above Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. However, looking at the course of the league after 12 matches played, it seems to be a long road. The manager clearly has an eye of a tiger for major silverwares with the club, therefore identifies squad depth as a decisive key to making a difference.
Another notable need to sign more midfielders is the dubious future of Cesc Fabregas, John Obi Mikel and Oscar, who are all no longer trump cards of the manager’s deck. Despite being perceived as unfruitful to the boss, the club will expect a decent amount of cash, particularly for Fabregas and Oscar, both tactically gifted stars who are too good to be placed on the bench. Upon their departure, money can be easily recycled to capture new targets.
Both Calhanoglu and Badelj are key figures for their respective clubs. The former is a more familiar name, especially for his spectacular free kick skills that are vastly cherished in the highlight reels. Besides piercing balls into the back of the net in style, the 22-year old is able to unleash attackers with quick and clever passes, having created 12 chances and registering 2 assists this term. The last time out against Darmstadt, he rifled in the opening goal of the match from 20 yards out. The German side will only entertain any offer around £17 million or more for their whiz kid.
Fiorentina seems to be Chelsea’s shopping cart at the moment. After sealing the services of Marcos Alonso back in the summer, turning their attention to Badelj puts Chelsea faithful in a cloud. However, the Croatian international is slapped a cheaper £10 million price-tag by the club. The 27-year-old has only missed one match this campaign and found the back of the net once. He might lack stardust that fans usually seek yet if he fits Conte’s plan, just like Alonso, both the management and fans are more than happy to have him on board. However, reports also suggest that London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Italian giants AC Milan are monitoring his availability too.
Day by day, players are constantly linked in and out of Stamford Bridge. Is Conte looking to seize the individuals he missed out in the previous transfer window or solely hit a home run in his first season in England? Whatever it may be, January appears to be nothing but busy for the team in blue.