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Former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has shed light on two missed transfer opportunities that could have seen Virgil van Dijk and Romelu Lukaku join him at Stamford Bridge.
Conte spent just short of two years with the Blues from 2016 to 2018. The Italian coach delivered the Premier League title during his first season in charge in west London.
However, Chelsea failed to build on that league success and haven't won the title since Conte's reign. The former Juventus manager did win the FA Cup the following season but that wasn't enough as former owner Roman Abramovich opted to replace him with Maurizio Sarri.
Conte told The Telegraph that the Blues missed out on two blockbuster signings during his reign. He feels the west London giants could have dominated English football if he was allowed to build his own side:
"My history says that I always arrived at my clubs in a difficult situation with problems. I always build. After my first season at Chelsea, when we won the title, we could have become dominant in England."
Conte named Liverpool captain Van Dijk and Chelsea's on loan AS Roma striker Romelu Lukaku as the two failed transfers:
"We spoke with Lukaku and Van Dijk, and with those two important players we could have changed the situation."
Van Dijk, 32, has been a stalwart at the back for Jurgen Klopp's Reds during his six years at Anfield. The Dutchman has made 249 appearances, winning seven major trophies.
However, the Netherlands skipper could've been headed to Chelsea if Conte got his wish. He was impressing at Southampton at the time and eventually moved to Merseyside in a £75 million deal.
The Blues did manage to bring Lukaku, 30, to Stamford Bridge from Inter Milan in 2021 for a then-club record £97.5 million deal. But, this came two years after their prior interest as he instead chose to join Manchester United from Everton in 2019.
Lukaku was viewed as one of the Premier League's most prolific frontmen during his time with the Toffees. The Belgian striker bagged 87 goals in 166 games at Goodison Park.
Van Dijk explained choosing Liverpool over Chelsea
Van Dijk touched on his move to Anfield back in 2021 and he explained how he considered several aspects of clubs interested in signing him. The Dutch defender said (via Caught Offside):
"Before I made the decision to choose Liverpool, I looked at all the aspects of the clubs; the way of playing, the team-mates, the future as well … the city, the fans everything has got to be a big part of joining a club."
He he felt he'd made the right decision joining Klopp's Merseysiders:
"I think Liverpool at that time when I made the decision was the right decision."
Chelsea did manage to sign one of Europe's most highly-regarded defenders after missing out on Van Dijk. They brought Antonio Rudiger to Stamford Bridge from Roma in a £34 million deal.
However, Liverpool's skipper has arguably been one of the greatest Premier League defenders of the past decade. He's been at the peak of his powers this season, helping his side mount a title challenge, with seven clean sheets and three-goal contributions in 22 league games.
