Conte and Chelsea must be patient in pursuit of transfer targets

It may be early days in this transfer window, but Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is no exception in wanting to have new players added to his squad as soon as possible. He returns from Italy later this week ahead of preseason with no major targets yet signed and sealed.

Attempts to strengthen a title-winning squad have so far drawn something of a blank, beyond th

e arrival of reserve goalkeeper Willy Caballero. Deals for Juventus left-back Alex Sandro, Roma central defender Antonio Rudiger and Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko remain possible -- the treble swoop could cost north of £125m and would put Chelsea ahead of the game -- but progress has been slow.

Meanwhile, re-signing Romelu Lukaku, priced at £100m by an Everton side reluctant to replace the unwanted Diego Costa, might become the long-running transfer saga of the summer.

If there is a consolation, fans fearing a repeat performance of the rancorous summer of 2015, which eventually cost Jose Mourinho his job, can console themselves that none of the Premier League's elite are currently finding life easy in the market. English football's swollen wealth has increased the premiums and £40 million has become a par price.

Conte's own future of is not exactly cast-iron either. Any fissures are not as deep as those which caused Mourinho's dramatic slide towards the exit door but a contract extension that has not been signed quite yet.