Though Chelsea have enjoyed a productive few weeks since their much discussed switch to 3-4-3, the summer transfer window was actually rather fraught. The Blues and Antonio Conte spent much of the summer chasing centre backs; including Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci and Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly unsuccessfully targeted. David Luiz returned to Stamford Bridge in the dying days of the window, a move that could prove to be a positive one in retrospect but the Brazilian was certainly not Conte’s preferred target.
After damaging defeats against Liverpool and Arsenal, the former Juventus coach was decisive enough to push for a change in formation that has turned their season around. Luiz looks far more comfortable in a defensive triumvirate while Diego Costa and Eden Hazard look revitalised and are in closer contact. Nevertheless, the January transfer window isn’t too far away and rumours are already circulating about who Conte might look to bring in. We analysed some reported targets and graded each one according to likelihood.