Antonio Conte orders club transfer chiefs to sign three players for this reason

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte has sanctioned three winter transfer window signings as he feels right in his request for more signings after runaway leaders Manchester City’s brilliant start to the current season.

As per the Times, the tactician has handed over a three-man shortlist to club transfer chief Marina Granovskaia, which has in it a centre-back, a left-fullback and a forward.

The list was not revealed in this report, but rumour elsewhere may hand them some clues as to the players on Conte’s wishlist this New Year.

British publication the Daily Mail have linked Chelsea with a loan move for West Ham forward Andy Carroll, who could serve as a useful backup to underfire Spaniard Alvaro Morata as the Times suggests the manager is happy to let Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi leave

As regards a centre-back, Don Balon have linked the Italian tactician with AC Milan defender Leonardo Bonucci, whom the manager knows pretty well from working together at Juventus and the Italian national football team.

The Independent claim Juventus full-back Alex Sandro is one of the Blues’ transfer targets at left-back position, though he looks like an unrealistic signing at this point as the Serie A champions are reluctant to offload.