They won’t be cheap.
It’s well documented that Antonio Conte is not satisfied with the lack of depth in his Chelsea squad. The reigning champions have dozens of young players out on loan at various clubs around Europe, but Antonio Conte feels he needs first-team reinforcements in January.
According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea are hoping to sign Thomas Lemar from Monaco this January, as well as Arturo Vidal from Bayern Munich.
Lemar was one of Arsenal’s main targets over the summer, but a £92m deal fell through at the last minute. Chelsea are now reportedly looking to poach the 22-year-old from under Arsenal’s noses in this January window. Primarily a left-sided midfielder, he could potentially play as a left sided forward in the front line of Conte’s 3-4-3 system or as a wing-back, rotating with Marcos Alonso, who at the moment has no back-up. Liverpool have also been linked with a move for the player.
Monaco’s team that reached the Champions League semi-finals last season was stripped apart during the summer as Bernardo Silva, Benjamin Mendy, Tiémoué Bakayoko and Kylian Mbappé all departed for big money. They will be desperate to keep hold of Lemar, but Chelsea are not short of funds and, as we know, money talks.
According to German publication Bild, Conte is a big admirer of Vidal too, whom he coached at Juventus and made the fulcrum of their midfield as they won three consecutive league titles together. The Chilean would be an excellent addition to Chelsea’s midfield, which is suffering from a lack of depth. Bayern are reportedly open to offers for Vidal, but Chelsea may have to wait until the summer, for him and Conte to be reunited.
Bayern Munich’s pursuit of Schalke starlet Leon Goretzka indicates a willingness to sell Vidal, who turned 30 last May and whose contract expires in 2019.
#Goretzka to Bayern would also explain Arturo Vidal's link to #Chelsea. From what I understand it is likely the Chilean will be re-united with Conte next summer if/when the Goretzka deal goes through.
— Manuel Veth (@ManuelVeth) December 31, 2017
