Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is amazed by the “crazy” transfers occurring this summer.
The new Chelsea manager has spent over $85 million himself on just two players — Michy Batshuayi and N'Golo Kante — but he believes the huge transfer fees being seen across European soccer cannot continue.
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Speaking in the U.S. ahead of Chelsea’s opening 2016 International Champions Cup game against Liverpool at the Pasadena Rose Bowl on Wednesday, Conte laughed as he tried to get his head around fees such as Paul Pogba set to leave Juventus for over $130 million and Gonzalo Higuain joining Juve for $98.7 million.
“We are seeing a crazy market, no? It is incredible. When you want a player it is very difficult because you must pay a lot of money. A lot of money,” Conte said. “I don’t know if this situation can continue. We are starting to speak about 100 million, 120 million or 95 million, these prices are incredible, no? They are incredible.
“We must keep and maintain the patience for this sport. I think this is the most important thing. The money is important but not all. It is important for the club to reach the right target and not only to spend because we want to spend money. No. It is not right for me. It is right to take the player and adapt in our idea of football.”
Conte’s belief is admirable but how realistic is it?
With Chelsea the fourth-highest spenders in European soccer this summer — only Juventus, Barcelona and Liverpool has spent more — he can’t exactly say his club isn’t part of the big money transfers he seemingly isn’t a fan of.
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The Blues may need at least one or two new players before the season begins and if things aren’t going well for Conte then in January you’d expect him to be given even more cash from Roman Abramovich.
What the former Italian national team manager is trying to say is that he aims to mold the players into his style rather than making wholesale changes. Chelsea has plenty of quality for Conte to work with in their squad but can the Blues really afford to get left behind in the great arms race for star players currently happening?
