Antonio Conte is busy drawing up his January shopping list, claims the Daily Star, with the paper reporting that the Chelsea boss has five players in his sights for when the transfer window opens in just over a month.
The Blues were largely lethargic in the summer transfer market and apparently the Chelsea boss wants to make up for that by loosening the purse strings in the new year.
The five players who could soon be wearing blue are Everton midfielder Ross Barkley and Juventus left-back Alex Sandro - both of whom were linked to Stamford Bridge in August - Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke and a couple of France-based aces in Lyon’s Mounter Diakhaby and Lucas Moura of Paris Saint-Germain.
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The Star says that Moura is desperate to leave the French capital after slipping down the pecking order following the arrival in the summer of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
The Brazilian sharpshooter has managed just 71 minutes of game-time this season and Conte is considering a move for the 25-year-old.
The same goes for the 20-year-old Diakhaby, who has “been in sensational form for Lyon this season”, or so says the Star. The youngster has blossomed since the departure to Barcelona of Samuel Umtiti.
Conte is said to be an admirer of Benteke but with Crystal Palace dependent on the Belgian’s goals in their bid to stave off relegation any deal might have to wait until the summer.
Not so with Sandro and Barkley, with the latter reportedly ready to leave Goodison Park after Everton’s nightmarish start to the season.
According to talkSPORT, Juventus are so sure Sandro will leave for Chelsea in January that they are already eyeing a replacement in Atletico Madrid full-back Filipe Luis.
Quoting Italian outlet Tuttosport, talkSPORT says that the Brazilian defender is expected to sign for Chelsea in a £60million deal.
