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Three things that must happen for Chelsea to count transfer deadline day as a success
Chelsea have had a slow start to the season on and off the field, as new signings like Alvaro Morata, Antonio Rudiger and Tiemoue Bakayoko take time to adjust in London, but critics will still label this summer a failure for the club with their squad looking desperately shallow heading into deadline day.
Here are three things that Antonio Conte will be desperately hoping for on the final day of the transfer window:
Signing a wing-back
Chelsea stuck with pretty much the same starting line-up throughout the 2016/17 season, but they are unlikely to be able to do so this time around. With the added complication of the Champions League taking the fixture count to at least 46 games, it would be a big ask to expect just Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses to take up the wing-back roles.
The say that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is the latest player to turn down the move, following Manchester City signing Danilo, according to , and Juventus left-back Alex Sandro, report the . An addition here is clearly the priority.
Selling Diego Costa
Antonio Conte informed Diego Costa over text that he would not have a role to play in the Chelsea squad in their Premier League title defence, but no deal has yet been reached for his sale. Costa has made it clear that he has his heart set on a return to Atletico Madrid, and the now say that they have made a bid worth £39 million but £10 million in add-ons.
Conte will be desperate to shift the Brazilian before he is left to rot in Brazil whilst he refuses to train, and he will not want his disruptive influence around the squad in London. However, with Atletico under a transfer ban until January, it could be a complicated deal to make in the next 48 hours before the Spanish window shuts on Friday.
Add homegrown talent
After the departures of John Terry, Nathan Ake, Nathaniel Chalobah, Asmir Begovic and Dominic Solanke, Chelsea are desperately looking to add players who will match the homegrown quota for their Premier League and Champions League squad registration.
seem to suggest that Danny Drinkwater could be one player to match that criteria, whilst Ross Barkley may be another after say that Everton rejected an initial bid of £25 million for the attacking midfielder.