Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte, is finding life a bit more difficult in his second season at Stamford Bridge.
The fiery Italian conquered the Premier League in his first year, amassing a incredible 30 wins out of their 38 fixtures.
Having qualified the Blues for the Champions League, Conte struggled through out the transfer window to beef up his squad, as they prepare to challenge on at least four fronts this campaign.
He was able to bring in Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Danny Drinkwater and Zappacosta. But at least five players snubbed a move to Chelsea before deadline day elapsed.
1. Ross Barkley: The Everton midfielder came closest to joining the champions, after he travelled to London to undergo medical tests. Barkley however changed his mind while it was going on and will return to Goodison Park, where he is delaying to sign a new contract.
2. Fernando Llorente: Conte wanted Llorente as back-up to Morata and Michy Batshuayi, with Diego Costa still left out in the cold. However, the Spain striker who he worked with at Juventus, has signed for London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.
3. Romelu Lukaku: Lukaku was widely expected to return to the Bridge this year, after he made it clear he would not be at Everton this season. The Blues failed to close a deal on time and Manchester United stepped him and got the Belgian, who has netted three league goals already.
4. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: Chelsea agreed a deal with Arsenal for Oxlade-Chamberlain, but the 24-year-old turned down the switch and instead waited for Liverpool to match their offer. Oxlade-Chamberlain is desperate to play in central midfield and believes Conte sees him as a right wingback.
5. Danilo: Conte wanted to sign Danilo from Real Madrid, as cover for Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso in the wide areas. But the defender instead chose to sign for Manchester City.
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