Antonio Conte Calls on Chelsea to Sign More Players in Community Shield Presser

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte wants to see more new faces arrive at Stamford Bridge before the end of the transfer window.

The Blues have added Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Alvaro Morata to their squad already. But speaking on Friday ahead of the team's Community Shield showdown with Arsenal, Conte said he wants more players through the door, per the club's Twitter account:

As relayed by Miguel Delaney of The Independent, Conte suggested that as things stand, the squad is not big enough:

There haven't been wholesale departures at Stamford Bridge, meaning the current crop of players is not too dissimilar to the squad that won the Premier League title last season.

Nemanja Matic has moved on to Manchester United, with Bakayoko anticipated to fill that void in midfield. Meanwhile, Diego Costa is expected to move on in the current window, with Conte saying the player has known since January that he would be sold, per Delaney.

JUSTIN TALLIS/Getty Images

While the Blues squad is packed full of quality, they will be put under more duress during the 2017-18 season. That's because this year they will have UEFA Champions League football to negotiate in addition to their domestic matches.

The Anfield Wrap's Philip Blundell suggested last month that the Blues still need to make some major investments if they're to be a force on multiple fronts:

There appear to be irons in the fire, though. According to Matt Hughes of The Times, Chelsea are ready to test Southampton's resolve to keep Virgil van Dijk at the club with a £50 million bid. Phil Kirkbride of the Liverpool Echo also reported that the Blues are keen on signing Everton midfielder Ross Barkley in this window.

Players like that, Van Dijk in particular, would make a major impact at Stamford Bridge and provide key competition in important positions. 

The Scouted Football Twitter account suggested the Blues should also seek to integrate some younger members of the squad into the team, too, including defender Andreas Christensen, who shone on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach last season:

"

We're not taking @WhoScored ratings into account, but did Chelsea spend £30m+ on a defender that Andreas Christensen (21) is better than? pic.twitter.com/swjm0wavdK

— Scouted Football (@ScoutedFtbl) July 11, 2017"

The culture at Chelsea has always made that integration a challenge, though. If a manager is struggling, the club has been ruthless in axing them, regardless of reputation; that's something Jose Mourinho found out during the 2015-16 season.

It's why coaches like Conte will want to see big money spent on players who are proven at the highest level