Despite splashing major cash in order to bring David Luiz back to Stamford Bridge, Antonio Conte has made no secret of his desire to add to his further defensive reinforcements to his squad. Chelsea have conceded nine goals in their first eight Premier League matches this season, however with John Terry not getting any younger, and the former England Captain being hampered by niggling injuries, Real Madrid's Pepe is the latest name to be linked with a move to West London. Despite being among the outsiders in the football betting odds, Pepe helped Portugal to glory at Euro 2016, and has gained a reputation as one of the most combative center-backs on the continent, also helping the Spanish giants to both domestic and European success.
The former FC Porto man is out of contract in the summer of 2017, and despite Real Madrid being keen to hang on to the services of the 33-year-old, the one year contract that has been offered by the club is not thought to be enough to convince Pepe. The defender will be able to talk to foreign clubs and sign a pre-contract with them from January 1, having made over 300 appearances for Madrid during his time in Spain. With Conte reportedly still yet to be convinced over the capabilities of Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic, the bookies football offers currently have Chelsea as the favourites to sign Pepe.
Should Conte decide to focus upon a younger transfer target, he could well again make attempts to sign AC Milan's Alessio Romagnoli. The Italian international was on the receiving end of numerous bids from Chelsea during the summer transfer window, and the 21-year-old former Roma youngster has been linked with a staggering £49 million move to Stamford Bridge over recent days. Having made two appearances for the Italian national team despite his lack of experience, the football odds from bookmakers are pointing towards a potential transfer in the next twelve months.
Meanwhile, one man who seemingly does not have a future at Stamford Bridge is Tomas Kalas. The Czech Republic international has only made two first-team appearances for Chelsea since his arrival back in 2010, and is now one of many Blues youngsters to be enjoying a fruitful loan spell this season. Kalas has made the short trip to Fulham, where he intends to stay for the foreseeable future. Chelsea have an incredible 38 players out on loan this season, with striker Tammy Abraham the pick of the bunch. The England Under-21 man has scored eight goals in the Championship so far for Bristol City.
