Chelsea: Antonio Conte absolves himself of any transfer decisions
With many questioning who dictates Chelsea’s transfer policy, Antonio Conte has moved to free himself from any responsibility over January signings.
As Chelsea prepare for their Premier League fixture against Stoke City, Antonio Conte addressed the media in his customary pre-match press conference. One of the topics on the agenda was the January transfer window and the boss had an interesting response to questions regarding it.
"For sure, the club will try to do their best in the market to improve the squad from a numerical aspect. I’m a coach, I have to work with my players and my task is on the pitch. The transfer market is for the club and they must decide if they want to improve my squad. – via chelseafc.com"
Chelsea fans heavily criticised their club for failing to make appropriate moves in the summer transfer window. Rumours have since swirled regarding Conte’s relationship with the board. The hierarchy seemingly refused to sign the players Conte wanted and the Blues’ title defence is now over.
These latest comments from Conte suggest that there is indeed a division of responsibility. As the coach, he has no control over buying new players for his squad. That’s down to the board and the sporting/technical director.
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It’s hard to believe that the Italian doesn’t have some say in transfer policy. Hence, this could be seen as subtle dig at his superiors. They didn’t listen to him in the summer so he’s not going to bother discussing transfer policy for January. It wouldn’t make a difference.
Based on Conte’s remarks, Blues fans shouldn’t be getting their hopes up for any January action. Chelsea desperately need some more wingbacks and a striker who can actually threaten Alvaro Morata’s starting role. However, the board may not want to dip into the hyper-inflated mid-season transfer market.
Chelsea are well-placed to secure Champions League qualification. Moreover, the players available in January won’t be that much of an upgrade on the current Blues crop. They almost certainly won’t be good enough to slot into Chelsea’s starting eleven. Hence, you can understand the club’s hesitation to engage.
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However, the Blues have a lot of work to do in the summer to respond to Manchester City’s dominance. Do you expect Chelsea to make amends for last summer’s shambles? Let us know in the comments below!