Even though Chelsea have made some impressive transfers over the summer, there is still room for improvement in terms of their lot. Conte missed out on some key players and is in search of new talent to change the way the team performs especially against big names such as Arsenal, Liverpool, City and United. While rumors regarding Aubameyang or Griezmann seem farfetched, there are some transfer targets that might just end up at Stamford Bridge sooner or later. While the Winter mercato is not that productive, there is no harm in thinking ahead. Starting negotiations almost a year ahead can get the job done especially if the end result is game-changing.

With that in mind, there are two players who Chelsea should definitely start chasing right away even though there is a slim chance of seeing any of these guys actually move to London earlier than June 2017.

The first on the list none other than Juventus defender Leandro Bonucci who everyone sees as the perfect solution for closing up the defensive gaps Chelsea have shown during high-end clashes. Despite his recent contract extension which took place in 2015, Conte is confident he can tempt the Italian defender into working with him once again. Bonucci will be turning 30 next year but that shouldn’t be a problem as the center-back hasn’t suffered any major injuries in his career and has just missed just one of Juventus’ games last season due to a small muscle problem. He is as fit as they come and more experienced than any other player Chelsea could target. Some may ask why would Conte replace Cahill with Bonucci or why would the club spend money on someone who is going to be over 30 in the summer; the answer is simple – consistency. Consistency is probably the biggest asset a defender can have next to efficiency. Putting this Italian international next to David Luiz or even Cahill would represent a massive boost in confidence for the rest of the team. Hopefully Metro are right and Bonucci is really on Chelsea’s radar. He would represent the same thing Cech represented for Arsenal when he was signed from the Blues – a sense of security which allows the whole team to unfold and focus on other tasks as well.

The second player recently linked to Chelsea is Lazio’s Felipe Anderson. This very versatile attacking midfielder has a similar profile to Hazard, meaning that he is able to play both in the flanks and behind the strikers. He is 23, he has impressed since moving to Serie A in 2013 where he delivered an assist or scored a goal every two weeks. He is fast, he has incredible vision and is a joy to watch. He has some of Kaka’s shooting technique and incredible ball control. He could be an improvement to Chelsea’s attack and would surely entertain fans with his style. Hopes he will move to Stamford Bridge are high as he is represented by the same agency as Matic, Kante and Zouma. Aside from that a strong work relationship between the player’s agent and the man who brought Oscar, Luiz and Pato to Chelsea is going to facilitate the process which surprisingly can be finalized as soon as this February.