Antonio Conte admitted that Chelsea have to “wait” to land their top targets over the final weeks of the window as they adjust to life in the “crazy transfer market”.
Chelsea have only made two new signings this summer, Ngolo Kante from Leicester City and Michy Batshuayi from Marseille, and have been frustrated in their pursuit of another centre-forward and centre-back. This means that Chelsea will not face West Ham United on Monday evening, in Conte’s first game in charge, with quite the first team they were hoping for.
Conte does not like to talk about transfers in public, and would not discuss any particular targets in his first pre-match press conference at Cobham on Friday afternoon. But he did say that the inflated state of the market was restricting Chelsea’s ability to sign the players that they want.
“Every single club adapts transfer policy,” Conte said. “I think Chelsea is waiting for the right solution. In this moment it is not easy. It is a crazy transfer market. When you try to buy one player the cost is very expensive. It is a very strange situation. We are waiting for the solution.”
Chelsea have not yet been able to close deals for Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli or Romelu Lukaku from Everton, but Conte insisted that he was content to go into Monday’s West Ham game with the players he already has.
“It is important to think for the present,” Conte said. “I talk every day with the club and we have a plan. This transfer market is very crazy. We must be patient. I am happy to work with these players.”