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It Is Time Conte And Chelsea Look To Sign Any Of These 3 Big Money Defenders

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte

Chelsea Should Look To Sign One Of These Big Money Defenders In The Summer

Chelsea are the 2016/17 Premier League champions. A revolutionized, new look Chelsea led by new manager Antonio Conte romped home to the Premier League title after having finished in a lowly 10th place in the preceding season.

It has been an excellent campaign for the Blues and their Italian manager and by the end of this week, they could add one more trophy to their cabinet, if they manage to beat Arsenal in the finals of the Emirates FA Cup.

With European nights returning to the Stamford Bridge from next season, Chelsea will need to strengthen their squad. This past season, Conte had an excellent set of players, but there was a lack of depth in several positions. Very few injuries and a lack of fixture congestion due to them being not involved in Europe, Conte was allowed the breathing room to field the same playing XI regularly without chopping and changing things a lot.

However, the former Juventus boss will not be afforded the same luxury next time around and he will need to have able replacements to come in and step up when needed.

Chelsea have been playing the 3-4-3 system under Conte and it is unlikely that the Italian will want to change something that has brought the club so much success already. The three centre-backs – Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, and Gary Cahill have been brilliant this season and their defensive stability has been the cornerstone on which the team’s success has been built.

But with John Terry leaving, Kurt Zouma also set for a possible loan move away from Stamford Bridge, the champions will be left with the three first-choice defenders, with Nathan Ake as the backup. Andreas Christensen will be returning from his two-year loan spell with Borussia Monchengladbach. While those two are exciting prospects, it wouldn’t be the worst thing to have another proven world class centre-half in the ranks. To that end, here are three big name centre-backs that Chelsea should look to invest on:

Virgil van Dijk

The 25-year old Southampton centre-half has developed into one of the best in the Premier League since joining from Celtic and is being chased by almost all the big English clubs.

He made just 21 appearances in the league before an injury put an end to his season. But van Dijk has proven his class in the past on enough occasions. Strong, big, and physical; he is a rock at the back. And his ability to pick out passes or carry the ball out from the back make him a perfect fit for the three-man defence that Chelsea deploy. He might lack the European experience, but the Van Dijk will be an excellent addition.

Kalidou Koulibaly

Koulibaly, 25, has become a mainstay in the Partenopei defence and has featured for them on 37 occasions this season, chipping in with 2 goals. A formidable defender, the Senegalese international is also an excellent passer and can start attacks with passes from within his own half. Conte has seen the player from close quarters during his days at Juventus and Koulibaly would be an ideal fit into his setup.

Leonardo Bonucci

Conte’s most trusted lieutenant during his days at Juventus and then during his tenure with the Italian national team. There is no doubt that Leonardo Bonucci is one of the best defenders around in the game currently.

The 30-year old Italian is one of the main reasons, alongside his partners in crime Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini, why Juventus are dominating the Italian football for a good part of the decade now. Bonucci’s leadership and defensive nous combined with his excellent distribution skills have been a big part of the Old Lady’s run to the finals of the Champions League this term. Having worked with Conte for a long time, both the player and the manager will know what they will get. Now that the Blues are back in the Champions League, a move for the Italian would be brilliant.