Antonio Conte has recommended new signings to Chelsea in anticipation of being named as the club’s manager this month.
Miralem Pjanic, the Roma and Bosnia-Herzegovina midfielder, is one target who has been mentioned by the Italian, with Chelsea believed to be receptive to the idea of recruiting a player in whom they have had a longstanding interest.
Chelsea have been following Pjanic since his time at Lyons and came close to signing him when Carlo Ancelotti was the club’s manager five years ago. The 25-year-old, who grew up in Luxembourg after his family fled the Balkan conflict, joined Roma for £8.5 million that summer and has extended his contract in the Italian capital until 2018. Pjanic is regarded as a dead-ball specialist and has been productive in Serie A this season, contributing 11 goals and 10 assists.
“I don’t do judo anymore. Just boxing with my partner
Conte has also mentioned Radja Nainggolan, a box-to-box midfielder also at Roma, as he seeks to demonstrate to the Chelsea hierarchy that he would be capable of overhauling their squad at the same time as continuing with Italy’s preparations for this summer’s European Championship.
The Italy coach is understood to be concerned that his involvement in France, which may continue until the final on July 10, could count against him as Chelsea consider the rival merits of Massimiliano Allegri and Jorge Sampaoli. Luiz Felipe Scolari failed at Chelsea after being appointed midway through Portugal’s Euro 2008 campaign, while Louis van Gaal has also struggled at Manchester United after going to Old Trafford straight after leading Holland to the World Cup semi-finals in 2014.
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Conte has opted to confront these precedents by showing that he is able to do two jobs simultaneously. The 46-year-old has also held talks with Chelsea about improving their development of young players and been made aware that Roman Abramovich regards it as a priority, as the club demonstrated yesterday by giving a five-year contract to Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Conte has yet to meet Abramovich, with Chelsea’s negotiating team being led by Marina Granovskaia, the club director, but he is using an agent based in Monaco — Federico Pastorello — as an intermediary so a meeting with the Russian on his yacht in Monte Carlo is on the cards.
Conte’s desire to sign a three-year contract and begin working for Chelsea may cause problems . Carlo Tavecchio, the president of the Italian football federation, yesterday demanded Conte remain focused on Italy’s Euro 2016 campaign. “As far as I am concerned for the moment Conte will remain with the national team and work with great desire, showing his competence and effort,” Tavecchio said.
Meanwhile, Guus Hiddink, the Chelsea interim manager, has conceded that Alexandre Pato has fallen below Bertrand Traoré and Loftus-Cheek in the pecking order and is glad that the Brazil player was a loan signing. The 26-year-old could make the bench against Norwich City tonight after a month of inactivity since he signed from Corinthians on a deal that could eventually be made permanent.
Hiddink also claims that he has toughened up his side since taking over from José Mourinho in December — using rugby methods, his training in judo and boxing sparring sessions with his wife to help him.
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“It’s not always you have to be a big guy but when I see, for instance, Willian is not a big guy but is fighting into duels defensively as well,” Hiddink said.
“He’s smart to do so and willing to do so. That’s the modern footballer. Was this team strong enough in December? It needed a bit more rugby.
“I don’t do judo anymore. Just boxing with my partner. She wins, I’m not joking.”