Chelsea were off to the worst possible start to their defence of the Premier League title as they were beaten by Burnley in the first game of the new campaign. The manager Antonio Conte made some decent additions to his squad this summer but the loss to the Clarets will make him rethink his strategy.
The first-team at the club is one of the strongest in England but Conte now wants to add some depth to help him compete on all fronts next season. This has seen him extensively linked with a move for a number of players before the deadline day and one name now doing the rounds is Antonio Candreva.
According to an Italian journalist, Candreva is a top transfer target for Chelsea this summer. Reports claim that he could be quitting his current club Inter Milan for around €25m this summer and Conte wants him at the Stamford Bridge to add some quality to his side.
A product of the Lodigiani Academy, Candreva joined the Italian top flight in 2007 with Udinese but he spent five years on loan at five different Italian sides, in his six years at the club. He played for clubs like Juventus and Parma but only made a name for himself on loan at Lazio, who signed him permanently in 2013.
His impressive performances for Lazio saw him picked up by Inter Milan last season and he was a first team star, playing each and every league game either from the start or from the bench. He picked up six goals and 11 assists in a productive campaign in Milan and is now wanted by the Italian gaffer at the Stamford Bridge.
A versatile player who can play on the wing in attack or through the middle in the midfield, Candreva is one of the most versatile and experienced stars in world football at the moment. At 30, he has 226 Serie A appearances to his name to add to his 47 international appearances for Italy and is a player who will add loads of quality and experience to Chelsea.
He played on the right-wing, as a wing back and also as a winger and though he is not the best player defensively, is a player that will add loads of creativity in the final third. With gifted technique, great vision and strength in hold up play, he is perfect for the English game and can walk into the first team to replace Victor Moses at Chelsea in crunch games.
He can also deputize in almost every role and is a player every team will want to have in their side. Having already worked with Conte in the Italian national side, he will not take any time to adjust to the system at Chelsea but is he the right man for them this summer?
