Chelsea’s Antonio Conte reportedly missed out on Italian international Antonio Candreva in the January transfer window as his agent has today claimed that Inter Milan rejected advances from the English outfit on deadline day earlier this year.
It is understood that Conte was desperate for the 30-year old in January and believes that the title race would have been different with him in his squad. So should Conte move for him yet again this summer? Though the agent of the player insists that he is happy in Italy, should Chelsea’s manager try to lure him to the Stamford Bridge this summer?
Having sold the likes of Oscar this season, Conte is a bit short on attacking quality and is sure to spend big on star players who can walk into the first team. But Candreva marks that other requirement for the club, the depth in the squad.
Chelsea have the likes of Willian and Pedro who have played on the wings along with Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard to great effect this season. But Hazard has been constantly linked with an exit in the summer so Conte should not only scout for his replacements in the first team but should also look to add numbers to the squad to help them in contingencies.
Chelsea are expected to be active in all four competitions next season and Conte needs all the strength and depth of the squad to be able to compete for all four trophies. This will need Chelsea to have a strong second team as well and Candreva is one who can walk into each of the cup games.
A winger, Candreva is more comfortable playing on the right flank and has seven goals and eight assists for Inter Milan in 37 appearances in all competitions this season. He is an experienced player with close to 50 national team appearances for Italy and has already worked under Conte in his time with the national side.
A strong player who loves to have the ball at his feet, the 30-year old has an excellent vision that allows him to create an astonishing number of chances in the final third.
He is not a genuine winger who will try to beat the backline to put crosses in but is a player who likes to cut in and free up space for himself. He is a decent crosser and loves to play the long ball and this along with his defensive contributions make him an attractive player for Conte.
As already mentioned, Chelsea need a strong second XI and need to make a number of purchases for a number of position in the squad. They need a backup for Costa, a central defender to replace Gary Cahill or David Luiz in the long run and also a perfect partner for N’Golo Kante in the midfield.
They also lack a genuine backup for the attacking trio of Hazard, Pedro, and Willian and there are very few options available in the transfer market that would suit Chelsea at the moment. So Conte should try and lure Candreva to the Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.
