Chelsea have enjoyed an incredibly successful season under the guidance of Antonio Conte, securing the Premier League title and having the chance of clinching a double in the coming weeks as they clash with Arsenal in the FA Cup final.

However, the Italian’s squad at Stamford Bridge lacks significant depth in key-areas and that’s something he’ll need to improve in the close season, as the Blues prepare to defend their Premier League title and brace themselves for a return to the Champions League.

One significant area where Chelsea may need improving is midfield, as Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas continue to be linked with exits this summer and the Blues have struggled to settle on a regular partner for N’Golo Kante in the middle of the park.

Chelsea are likely to look towards signing a top-class creative midfielder to support Kante in central midfield, which would significantly bolster their squad- and The Sun has hinted a club-record deal could be on the cards.

Those reports indicate Conte is ready to sanction a £55m swoop this summer to bring his Italian compatriot Marco Verratti to Stamford Bridge from Paris Saint-Germain, with the Ligue 1 giants open to selling the 24-year-old.

PSG have fallen well short of their lofty expectations this season as they endured a premature exit in the Champions League, throwing away a huge first-leg advantage against Barcelona in the Round of 16, and conceded their Ligue 1 crown to Monaco.

Verratti himself has recently stated he’s keen to remain in the French capital but a lucrative move to Chelsea would be difficult to turn down, especially with the Blues offering the chance for Verratti to become a superstar at the club.

With the futures of Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois all coming under speculation, Chelsea may have a major rebuilding task on their hands to replace these key players in the squad over the coming transfer windows.

Whilst Verratti wouldn’t be a like-for-like replacement for any of that trio, the Italian would be able to rival the likes of Paul Pogba, Mesut Ozil, Philippe Coutinho and Kevin De Bruyne in the Premier League as one of the division’s best midfielders.

Since losing Frank Lampard, Chelsea have struggled to find a top-class attack-minded midfielder to create havoc in the centre of midfield and Verratti would certainly be that man, creating a deadly partnership with Kante that would prove to be incredibly difficult to break down.

Setting a new club-record in the transfer market would also send a major statement of intent to their Premier League rivals, with both Manchester clubs set to spend heavily this summer in an attempt to overhaul Chelsea from the summit of English football.

Chelsea have the finances to compete and need to show they’re not afraid to sanction a mouth-watering move.