Rumors regarding Chelsea’s squad upgrades are building up as the January transfer window is getting closer. Conte hasn’t finished sorting out his squad and a few players still seem to be on the departure list. While the attack and the defense look settled, the midfield does need some tweaking. Apparently, there are three players who do not fit Conte’s requirements and who could be leaving this winter. First there’s Fabregas whose relationship with the Italian manager hasn’t been going that well. Even though extremely creative and brilliant at times, his style does not seem to be the type that Conte likes in his side which has turned out to be costly for Fabregas. When you see Kante run and run for 90 minutes and he is totally responsible defensively plus he is a ball winner, perhaps you can understand why Fabregas has been sidelined as he is not known for these skills.

Next there’s Oscar who despite being committed and determined, seems to lack some of the qualities Conte needs. There’s also the fact that now he has to compete with Hazard for a spot on the team which is not an easy challenge. It’s kind of the same thing that happened to Pedro at Barcelona. Even though he is an excellent player, he had the misfortune to play in the same position as Messi. If what Metro say is true, Oscar might be heading to Italy where Inter are ready to meet Chelsea’s financial expectations. There’s also a small chance of seeing Geoffrey Kondogbia become part of a swap deal as the France international seems better suited for Chelsea’s new formation.

Last there’s Obi-Mikel whose departure could happen in January as we wrote earlier. His contract expires in June and there’s no sign that he will get a new deal. Apparently, he may be heading to Turkey but nothing has been made official yet. He might be replaced with Napoli’s Amadou Diawara who is one of Conte’s favorite young players.

The most important midfielder linked to Chelsea this week though is Frank Lampard. The Blues’ legend who will be 39 next June will no longer play for New York City and will announce what his future holds by the end of the year. Knowing the influence Lampard could have on the locker room especially when it comes to Chelsea youngsters and knowing his passion for the club is just strong as any player’s past or present, it would be a massive move for the Londoners. Hopefully Chelsea will not pass on the chance to bring this amazing player back but perhaps this time he will return in a coaching capacity or at least as a player coach.