Where are they now? The 14 signings Antonio Conte made as Chelsea boss
Antonio Conte spent two years in the Chelsea hot seat and made 14 signings in that time, but where are those players today?
In a recent interview with The Telegraph, the Italian boss revealed that he tried to sign Romelu Lukaku and Virgil van Dijk in 2017, but the club was unsuccessful in their attempts to sign the duo.
We’ve taken a look back on Conte’s time at Stamford Bridge and have checked up on his 14 signings to see what they are up to in 2024.
Michy Batshuayi
The Belgian forward never really nailed down a starting spot at Chelsea, but he did chip in with the odd goal here and there. Perhaps most memorably was his strike against West Brom which clinched Chelsea the title in 2017-18.
These days you can catch the 30-year-old playing for Fenerbahce where he seems to have rekindled his goalscoring touch. In 62 games for the Turkish giants, he’s managed to score 37 goals. An impressive return.
N’Golo Kante
Undoubtedly, the best signing made during the Conte era. Chelsea paid just £32million to land the French midfielder which has to be seen as one of the deals of the century.
After enjoying seven years with the club and collecting six trophies along the way, Kante exited in the summer and joined Saudi outfit Al-Ittihad.
However, since moving to Saudi Arabia, things haven’t been particularly smooth sailing for the 32-year-old. Al-Ittihad have fallen well below expectations this season and they will be looking towards players like Kante to turn their fortunes around.
Eduardo
We’d forgive you for not remembering Eduardo. The Portuguese goalkeeper spent three years on the books at Chelsea, but never made a senior appearance.
After playing out his final days at Braga, the experienced goalkeeper called it quits on his playing career in 2020.
David Luiz
The Brazilian defender made his return to Chelsea in 2016 and instantly made an impact. Luiz was superb in Conte’s 3-4-3 formation as he bossed things at the back alongside Cesar Azpilicueta and Gary Cahill.
Still going strong at 36 years old, he now plays for Brazilian outfit Flamengo. Luiz is also part of a select group of players to have won both the Champions League and the Copa Libertadores.
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Marcos Alonso
Having racked up over 200 appearances for Chelsea, Alonso was among the best signings made by Conte. He spent a total of six years at the club before joining Barcelona in 2022.
The 33-year-old still plays for the Catalan giants today, although he’s not played much this season due to injury. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, he could be on the move again soon.
Willy Caballero
The Argentine goalkeeper was a solid enough backup option for Chelsea during his four years at the club. After leaving Chelsea in 2021, he spent a couple of years with Southampton before announcing his retirement in 2023.
He’s now the assistant manager to Enzo Maresca at Leicester City who are flying high in the Championship.
Antonio Rudiger
After a somewhat shaky start to his Chelsea career, Rudiger eventually established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League.
Now playing for Real Madrid, we are pleased to announce that he is still one of the strangest men in football.
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Tiemoue Bakayoko
The less said about this transfer the better.
Following a disastrous spell with Chelsea, the French midfielder has since landed at Lorient. Although since joining the French club in the summer, he’s only managed 531 minutes of league action.
Alvaro Morata
Morata’s time at Stamford Bridge didn’t go to plan, but the 31-year-old seems to be in the form of his life right now. Having scored 19 goals for Atletico Madrid this season, he’s on course to have his most prolific season yet.
Some players tend to get better with age and that’s certainly applicable to Morata right now.
Danny Drinkwater
In an attempt to rebuild Leicester’s 2015-16 title-winning midfield, Chelsea splashed a whopping £35million fee on Drinkwater.
While Kante seamlessly made the transition from the King Power to Stamford Bridge, Drinkwater struggled to do the same. It soon became apparent that he wasn’t up to the standard required and the midfielder was quickly branded as a flop.
In total, he made just 23 appearances for the club during his five-year stay and spent most of his days out on loan. He announced his retirement from professional football last year, aged 33.
Davide Zappacosta
The Italian full-back didn’t set the world alight during his four-year stint with Chelsea. He quickly fell down the pecking order after Conte left and spent his final few years out on loan.
He has got his career back on track in his post-Chelsea days though as he’s now a regular starter for Serie A outfit Atalanta.
Ross Barkley
Following some forgettable years with Chelsea and a short stint in France, Barkley has looked back to his very best in 2023-24.
Now starring for Luton Town, the 30-year-old has put himself back in contention for the England squad with how good he’s been of late.
“Credit must go to Luton for giving him this lifeline,” Martin Keown told the Daily Mail. “He was available on a free transfer but it was manager Rob Edwards who took a chance when others would not.
“If Barkley can help Luton survive this season, he will go down as one of the greatest value-for-money signings ever made in the Premier League.”
Ross Barkley – 23/24 so far (Luton Ting)@RBarkley8 @lanceyfouxx pic.twitter.com/jxnrWc57uo
— jonah🎭 (@jocomps) February 6, 2024
Emerson Palmieri
The Italian defender never managed to establish himself as a regular starter at Chelsea, as he made just 23 starts in the league during his five-year stay.
The switch to West Ham seems to have done his career the world of good as he’s been handed plenty more opportunities since making the switch across London.
Olivier Giroud
The final signing that Conte made as Chelsea boss. Giroud was especially useful for Chelsea in the cup competitions as he played a key role in their Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup triumphs.
Even at the ripe old age of 36, he’s still finding the back of the net with relative ease for AC Milan. With 11 goals this season, he’s scored more than any Chelsea player has managed in the leauge.
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