Antonio Conte appears under no illusions as to how difficult retaining the title will be for Chelsea.
The Blues are going to have to strengthen to keep pace with their Premier League rivals, and according to the Mirror, Conte has identified five key targets he wants to bring in.
Romelu Lukaku
Lukaku is a player Chelsea have been targeting for some time, and it’s a signing that makes perfect sense if Diego Costa leaves. The 24-year-old scored 26 goals in all competitions for Everton last season and it would come as little surprise if he returned to Stamford Bridge.
Tiemoue Bakayoko
Monaco’s Bakayoko is likely to partner N’Golo Kante in central midfield if the deal goes ahead; he’s been impressive for the principality club and was a key part of the side that won Ligue 1.
Leonardo Bonucci
Bonucci has worked with Conte at Juventus and with the Italian national side. It may be difficult to convince the centre-back to leave Turin, where he has won six Scudettos.
Alex Sandro
Another of the Old Lady’s stars interesting Chelsea is Sandro, though it’s thought their asking price of £52million will deter Roman Abramovich.
Marco Verratti
The same source suggests Conte tried to sign Verratti for Juve during his time there, so it seems that link has not gone away. The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder looks ready to move on from the Parc des Princes.
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