
Chelsea
are targeting four big-name transfers in Virgil van Dijk, Antonio Candreva,
Fernando Llorente and Alex Sandro.
The Blues have spent £140m on Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Antonio
Rudiger this summer and Antonio Conte is determined to bring in more
re-enforcements for the Premier League champions.
Netherlands centre-back Van Dijk remains both the wishlists of both Chelsea
and Manchester City despite Southampton maintaining their stance that he is
not for sale.
Van Dijk wants to sign for Liverpool, who attempted to take him to Anfield
earlier in the summer but were forced to drop their interest after Saints
reported them to the Premier League for an alleged illegal approach.
Conte has been chasing Juventus left-back Sandro all summer and will have to
offer around £60m to have any chance of signing the Brazilian - something
that would break the record for a defender once again this summer.
Chelsea have already seen bids rejected by the Serie A champions, who are
trying to get Sandro to sign a new contract, and general director Giuseppe
Marotta said earlier this month that they do not want to sell any more of
their best players after losing Leonardo Bonnucci to big-spending AC Milan.
Chelsea are also interested in re-signing left-back Ryan Bertrand from
Southampton, as well as their right-back Cedric Soares.
Conte also wants another striker option despite the huge £70m outlay on
Morata from Real Madrid, with Diego Costa told he can leave Stamford Bridge
and expected to return to Atletico Madrid.
Conte tried to sign Llorente from Swansea in January and they are trying to
get the Spaniard again, with Conte having worked with him at Juventus during
his three Serie A-title successes.
And Conte also likes right-winger Candreva having worked with him with the
Italian national side. The Inter Milan star can play as a wing-back and
Conte tried to sign him in January.
Now 30 years old, Candreva would not let him for less than £20m and the
player's agent has said that there is an 80 per cent chance Candreva will
remain at the San Siro.