Conte And Chelsea Come Up With Departure Shortlist For The Winter

Conte And Chelsea Come Up With Departure Shortlist For The Winter

Chelsea’s going through some inconsistent times and despite some decent results under Conte’s supervision, the team is still not doing enough to achieve club expectations. Apparently, the Board has agreed to fund a team overhaul which could start as soon as January 2017. Conte is interested in bringing in young players with a strong defensive profile.  The Blues were chasing several leads this summer and managed to bring back David Luiz. That’s not enough apparently as the Brazilian is still not convincing enough to be considered the defense’s future. The midfield is also in question after some mediocre performances by Fabregas, Matic and Oscar. Basically the team’s backbone needs rejuvenating and it needs it fast as the management’s patience is growing shorter every day.

According to the Independent, some surprising names have made Conte and Abramovich’s short list, list which might start causing changes in the team as soon as this winter.

The first on the list is Oscar who despite having some good games in the beginning of the season, has slipped into a state of mediocrity once again. The Brazilian is just not delivering with consistency which is one of Chelsea’s biggest problems. He has little competition as he usually plays as a No. 10, a position which can only be filled by Fabregas who is more attack oriented and lacks defensive skills.

The next on the list is Nemanja Matic who just as last year, lacks consistency. Chelsea now have Kante who can play the same position and who can also carry on through a game at the same consistency. The Serbian is turning 29 next year and might be pressured into a move as he will enter the last two years of his contract. For him there’s no question regarding value but it is rather a question of adaptability and determination.

Fabregas is also on the list. We’ve already talked about his possible departure which looks kind of possible despite his status as a home grown player. The Spaniard has left all the clubs he was part of in the same manner and the way things look right now, point towards another move for him.

Last there are Cahill and Ivanovic. Apparently, the two will not be part of Conte’s plan for the future, meaning that the defense will look completely different in a couple of months. The two are over 30 and apparently Chelsea will want to count on younger players for the seasons to come. While their experience is something the Blues can use, that might not be enough to keep them at Stamford Bridge. It remains to be seen if this shortlist is really true and if Chelsea really intends to rebuild the team and lower the team’s age average considerably.