Chelsea boss Antonio Conte doesn’t have the squad he’d like to employ at Stamford Bridge.
Saddled with the various acquisitions of previous managers, the Italian has to build the squad the way he wants while simultaneously maintaining a title challenge.
It’s a case of so far so good for the former Juventus and Italy boss save for a bumpy patch where Chelsea lost consecutive Premier League games to Liverpool and Arsenal.
Before now and the turn of the year there are gigantic clashes against title rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City to come, with a second tilt at Spurs to begin the new year.
Regardless of what transpires in those games, Conte is already advanced in his transfer plans ahead of a January buying splurge.
Conte has identified what most casual observers could tell you about the Chelsea squad – that it is unwieldy, unbalanced and lacks cohesive planning.
As Chelsea continues its assault on the Premier League title here are five players Antonio Conte could, and should sign.