Antonio Conte has informed Chelsea’s management that he wants to sign Southampton full back, Cedric Soares. This means that the Italian is now interested in three players from the South Coast team, after showing interest in Ryan Bertrand and Virgil Van Dijk.
Chelsea are focused on building a team that can compete in all the competitions next season. Last weekend’s loss to Crystal palace was blamed on the absence of Victor Moses. The loss also highlighted the fact that the Blues need a capable deputy that can stand in just in case there is injury or suspension to the first choice.
Soares has been impressive since joining Southampton from Sporting Lisbon in 2015. He is 25, and experienced enough to provide quality cover as well as options for Chelsea when the fixtures start to pile up next season.
Ryan Bertrand is also been lined up to come in and challenge Marcos Alonso. He graduated from the Blues Academy and would be delighted to return there now as an accomplished professional.
The Blues also want Van Dijk to help them make their defence more compact and tough to break down.