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What's the story?
Antonio Conte is desperately trying to bolster his squad. He has identified a couple of targets but he has confirmed that he does not have the final say in it.
Speaking ahead of the London derby against Arsenal, later in the evening today, Conte said, "I am not involved in the transfer market, I give my opinion but the club decide for the players they want to buy, to invest in."
According to the Metro, the Italian has now made Sanchez his no.1 priority and has urged his board to sign him up.
In case you didn't know...
Sanchez has a contract that expires this summer and is yet to pin down a new deal with the Gunners. The Chilean had been on the radar for Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and wanted to sign him up last summer.
Bayern Munich and PSG were the other clubs interested in the midfielder but dropped out of the race after signing different players of his calibre.
The heart of the matter
The Sanchez - Arsenal saga has been going around for quite some time now. Arsene Wenger has admitted that he is yet to receive an offer for the 29-year-old. But according to reports, Wenger would allow the player to leave if he is able to find a suitable replacement this month. It is believed that the Gunners would listen to offers in excess of £25m.
Sanchez was close to joining City in the summer but the deal couldn't go through. Pep has also admitted that he does not see the 29-year-old moving in the winter transfer window. City have now got competition from Conte. If he is able to sign the midfielder, it would be a huge blow for City.
Conte is also interested in signing Arturo Vidal from Bayern Munich this month. The Italian has given the names of the players he wants. It is now up to to the Chelsea board to decide whether or not to invest in these players.
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Author's take
If Sanchez does join Chelsea, it will be a huge boost for the club. Conte has admitted that he does not have a big squad and getting a player of his calibre would definitely give the Italian manager some breathing space.
However, it will be interesting to see whether Wenger would be open to selling him to a direct rival. He would rather have him move to a different league. But, you never know what can happen in football.
