Premier League champions Chelsea have already spent significantly during the summer window to bring Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Alvaro Morata and Willy Caballero to Stamford Bridge but their squad hasn’t actually been improved drastically.

The losses of Nathan Ake, Asmir Begovic and John Terry mean that the depth of the squad has remained largely the same, whilst there’s the likelihood of further departures in the coming weeks- notably with Nemanja Matic and Diego Costa on the verge of an exit from West London.

Whilst Bakayoko, Morata and Rudiger can be seen as an upgrade on the options Chelsea had last season, the squad depth is set to be tested by the return to the Champions League- and failure to bolster the squad further could make things difficult for the Blues.

Fortunately, Antonio Conte is aware that his business is not yet over and he’s reportedly eyeing as many as four new additions- with the names mentioned being Southampton defender Virgil Van Dijk, Juventus full-back Alex Sandro, Lazio veteran Antonio Candreva and Swansea City striker Fernando Llorente.

Llorente and Candreva would not necessarily go straight into Chelsea’s first-choice line-up but they present Conte with the ability to rotate and lessen the fears that would occur should key players in West London pick up injury issues.

Van Dijk and Sandro, however, would come straight into the side and could lead to a significant improvement in Chelsea’s back-line; with Van Dijk partnering Rudiger and David Luiz in the middle, whilst Sandro’s role on the left could allow Cesar Azpilicueta to slot into his preferred position on the right.

With a midfield pairing of Bakayoko and N’Golo Kante, Chelsea’s base would look rock-solid and an attacking line consisting of Eden Hazard, Morata and one of Chelsea’s many other wide options, which include Pedro Rodriguez and Willian, would look deadly.

Not only is that the sort of side that can defend the Premier League title but it should also be able to push into the latter stages of the Champions League, especially with players like Llorente, Michy Batshuayi, Cesc Fabregas and Candreva ready to step-in where required.