Friday 17 April 2020 12:03, UK
Despite spending over £100m on squad improvements this summer, Chelsea are being linked with further additions in the January transfer window.
The Blues are riding high on a wave of momentum of late. Since a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in September, they have won five games in a row in the Premier League, the most recent being a 5-0 drubbing of Everton on Saturday.
After an uninspiring start to the 2016/17 campaign, which included two defeats and one draw from the first six league fixtures, Chelsea appear to have turned a corner and are now considered genuine title contenders. One of the key factors behind Antonio Conte's men reaching this newfound status is the Italian coach's tactical adjustments.
When Conte was confirmed as the new Chelsea manager in April, there was immediately speculation over whether the former Juventus coach would introduce a back-three system to the 2014/15 Premier League champions. The 47-year-old had used a defensive trio for the majority of his time in Turin as well as while in charge of the Italian national team.
Though initially electing to operate with a 4-2-3-1 formation, Conte has since implemented a dynamic form of 3-4-3 which has, so far, proved successful.
Conte was able to add centre-back David Luiz and left wing-back Marcos Alonso late in the summer transfer window, giving him the positional strength in depth to make the formation work. And the former Azzurri boss will reportedly seek further reinforcements when the transfer market re-opens in January to give himself a greater range of options.
The Sun believe that Chelsea will make a whopping £49m bid for 21-year-old AC Milan centre-back Alessio Romagnoli, while Italian media outlet Il Messaggero claims that they will rekindle their interest in Lazio's Brazilian attacker Felipe Anderson.
If the Blues do intend to make a move for the Serie A pair, how will they stack up against the current Chelsea players occupying their positions?
Alessio Romagnoli
Milan signed Romagnoli from Serie A rivals Roma in the summer of 2015 for €25m, and the defender is seen as the future of the Italian backline alongside Juventus youngster Daniele Rugani.
The Sun say Chelsea made a £35m bid for Romagnoli late in the most recent transfer window, but the Rossoneri, who are set to be imbued with cash from a Chinese takeover, decided to hold on to their prized asset.
If the Blues are successful in prying Romagnoli away from the San Siro in January, the Italian will likely find himself competing for a starting place with England international Gary Cahill.
Both men have shown themselves to be steady operators at the back this season, having only picked up one yellow card each. In fact, until Milan took on Juventus on October 22, Romagnoli hadn't even committed a foul.
As one of the the catalysts for Milan's revival under Vincenzo Montella this term, the two-cap Italian is beginning to show the kind of leadership expected of a top-level centre-back.
As he continues to mature, his reading of the game is also improving. He has made 14 interceptions to Cahill's 16, but the Englishman has played 1,200 minutes compared to Romagnoli's 900 so far. On average, the Milan man makes an interception every 64 minutes, compared to Cahill's average of one every 75 minutes.
Cahill comes out on top in terms of aerial prowess, having won 69.8 per cent of his aerial duels, besting Romaganoli's success rate of 63.3 per cent. Romagnoli has won four more tackles than Cahill (11 to seven).
With such similar statistics, Romagnoli, despite being nine years younger than Cahill, appears to have the requisite calibre to be a success at Stamford Bridge.
Felipe Anderson
Brazilian forward Felipe Anderson has been strongly linked with moves to both Chelsea and Manchester United over the last two years. The 23-year-old, who joined Lazio from Santos in 2013, enjoyed a fine season in 2014/15 when his 10 goals in 32 Serie A games helped the Biancocelesti qualify for the Champions League.
However, Anderson has struggled to recapture his form of two seasons ago and has drawn criticism for his inconsistency.
Blessed with tremendous pace, excellent close control and shooting ability, an on-song Anderson is a force to be reckoned with.
Though his best displays to date have come either out wide in a front three or behind a central striker as a number 10, the Lazio man has shown a new level of versatility and adaptability this season that will no doubt have caught Conte's eye.
Simone Inzaghi, the Lazio manager, has used both a 3-5-2 and 3-4-3 formation at different times this term, as well as a 4-3-3. Anderson has been asked to line up in the right wing-back position in addition to his more customary slot as part of the front three.
This would mean that, if Chelsea were to sign the Brazilian, he could provide cover and competition in a multitude of areas.
When compared with the Blues' current right wing-back Victor Moses, Anderson's offensive creativity comes to the fore, having conjured 26 chances to the former Wigan and Crystal Palace player's eight, and put in 63 crosses to Moses' 31.
He also has four assists for the season so far, three more than Moses and one short of Spanish winger Pedro.
Written off by many as a one-season wonder, Anderson certainly has his critics. But at 23, and with his game still clearly evolving, he may prove a worthy investment for Chelsea.
