Chelsea Reportedly Allow Antonio Conte to Match Man City's Transfer Spending

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte will reportedly be allowed to match Manchester City's record £218 million spend on transfers this summer as he looks to bolster his Premier League title-winning squad. 

According to Martyn Ziegler in The Times, the Blues have already spent £132 million on Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Antonio Rudiger, but Conte is still eyeing potential moves for Juventus' Alex Sandro, Swansea City's Fernando Llorente, Inter Milan's Antonio Candreva and Southampton's Virgil van Dijk. 

Left-back Sandro is rated at £60 million, striker Llorente and winger Candreva may cost £25 million apiece, while Van Dijk would also be around £60 million—although the signing of Rudiger means the Saints centre-back is not a main priority—Ziegler added.

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As such, Chelsea could eclipse City's current mark—the Manchester outfit may well spend more money before the close of the transfer window—and potentially hit £300 million if they sign all four of Conte's targets.

The Italian's Chelsea side won the Premier League last season at a canter, finishing seven points clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

However, they were not involved in any European football in 2016-17, so Conte was able to rely on a smaller squad.

The west London side are returning to the UEFA Champions League next term and will need a bigger squad with strength in depth across the pitch.

They also need to replace some key players, with John Terry having left the club and top scorer Diego Costa set to depart for either Atletico Madrid or the Chinese Super League, per John Percy in the Telegraph.