One of football’s worst kept secrets was finally confirmed on Monday when Chelsea announced that Antonio Conte has agreed to become their new manager in the summer.
A host of names had been linked ever since Jose Mourinho departed Stamford Bridge but in the past couple of months it’s more or less solely been Conte’s name coming up time and time again.
Now attention turns to the summer and next season, with plenty of speculation as to who will come in to join Conte’s revolution.
Some big names have been linked – such as Paul Pogba, Gonzalo Higuain, Romelu Lukaku, Radja Nainggolan and Kostas Manolas – but Chelsea may not necessarily need to spend big in order to improve the squad.
There are around 60 senior players on the books at Chelsea and with so many out of them out on loan there are certainly some who will feel they can play a role in Conte’s squad next season.
Not all of them will be first-team regulars and, more likely than not, the West London club will probably send a few more of them back out on loan – but we think there are nine players who could do a job for the new Chelsea manager next season.
Antonio Conte was instrumental in Paul Pogba’s development at Juventus.
Andreas Christensen
Christensen is probably the name most mentioned when it comes to loanees returning. He is currently on a two-year loan at Borussia Monchengladbach but there have been reports suggesting that Chelsea want to cut that deal short this summer.
Christensen has shone for Gladbach, both in the Bundesliga and the Champions League, and it feels like he could already be ready for first-team football at Stamford Bridge.
With Kurt Zouma out long-term and John Terry still without a new contract, Chelsea will need a new centre-back, and it seems like it could be time to get a return on their investment in the Dane.
He has also shown in the recent international break that he can play in a back three when required.
Juan Cuadrado
Cuadrado is another who has been heavily linked with a return to Stamford Bridge. The first six months for him at Chelsea were really tough, and he returned to Italy for the season to try and regain his form.
He’s done exceptionally well at Juventus and reports are suggesting that Conte wants him to return to West London.
Cuadrado is too good a player to be written off on the basis of those six months and, of course, he could be a wing-back or wide midfielder should Conte choose to use a formation with three central defenders.
Nathan Ake
One report has suggested that if Christensen does leave then Chelsea could send Nathan Ake the other way to help appease Gladbach.
Ake was first sent out on loan last year, as Chelsea ensured that he has home-grown status and he has been very good at Watford this year.
He’s been adventurous as a left-back and also showed that he can still play at centre-back. That versatility, and potential ability to play as a wing-back and in midfield as well, means that Ake deserves a chance at Chelsea now.
Lewis Baker
Baker has been with Chelsea for a while and he has a reputation for being something of a set-piece specialist, famously scoring penalties with either foot.
He has been Chelsea’s best player at Vitesse this season and, as we approach his 21st birthday, it feels like we could be reaching a crossroads in his career.
If Conte is looking for someone to sit deep and dictate the play then Baker could be that man.
Dominic Solanke
Solanke’s season has recently been disrupted by injury but that shouldn’t detract from the fact that he has scored seven goals in his first proper season in professional football.
Solanke is still just 18 but given the exploits of Marcus Rashford at Manchester United, why couldn’t he score a few goals if given a chance?
Chelsea will probably want to operate with three or four strikers next season, so Solanke could be one of them.
Marco van Ginkel
Van Ginkel seems to have been written off by most but it’s worth remembering that when he first arrived at Chelsea, Mourinho kept him at the club rather than send him out on loan.
Injuries have impacted his career but he has been shining recently with regular game time at PSV, and he is capable of being both an energetic midfielder and more focussed on creating for his teammates.
Charly Musonda
Musonda is probably one of the most talented young players on Chelsea’s books right now and he has been showing what he’s capable of at Real Betis this term.
Musonda is so good that Chelsea could bring him back this summer to slot into the first team. He has the versatility to play anywhere across the forward line and he’s one who could look to move on if he isn’t given assurances of first-team football at Chelsea.
Mario Pasalic
Pasalic has found it tough to break into Monaco’s team on a regular basis due to the quality of their midfield but he has popped up with seven goals in all competitions.
He’s another who’s unlikely to start every game but he’s proven at Monaco that he’s more than capable of making an impact off the bench.
Izzy Brown
Brown’s versatility sometimes counts against him, as he can play out wide behind the striker or as the main forward, but at Chelsea that should benefit him should Conte decide to recall him.
Brown has been good for Vitesse this season and, like others, he could be a good squad option.
Victor Moses
Recently it was reported that West Ham will not be taking up their option to sign Moses permanently, with the Nigerian winger struggling to get in the team in recent weeks.
It may, therefore, be a surprise to see him on this list but, with his pace and directness, he can be a very useful option for Chelsea.
Is he going to start every week? Of course not, but he could be a handy squad player off the bench when Chelsea need to change a game.
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