Chelsea planning major summer spending spree with Antonio Conte intent on strengthening squad

Chelsea are planning to seriously flex their financial muscle in the summer with Southampton's Virgil van Dijk, Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata and Celtic starlet Moussa Dembele all on their radar. The Blues are understandably keen to avoid a repeat of last season when their title defence never really began and are intent on substantially bolstering their squad at the end of the current campaign.

Antonio Conte's men are currently nine points clear of second-placed Tottenham and are odds on to win the Premier League, but the Italian is not one to rest on his laurels and The Telegraph claims he is looking to add five new players. With doubts over the long-term futures of Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa, Asmir Begovic and John Terry, along with the recent departures of John Obi Mikel, Branislav Ivanovic and Oscar, Chelsea's first-team could look very different come the start of next season.

The league leaders are believed to be heading the chase for Van Dijk's signature and could use youngster Nathan Ake as a way of sweetening the deal with Southampton. Claude Puel's men are interested in the versatile defender, who spent the first half of the season on loan at their south coast rivals Bournemouth, and could request that he is included in any potential deal.

Chelsea have long been linked with Morata, who has grown frustrated with his bit-part role at Real Madrid this season. Los Blancos are also long-term admirers of one Chelsea's stars, Thibaut Courtois, but the west London club are preparing to offer the Belgian international a new contract in order to ward off interest from Zinedine Zidane's men.

Conte's men were believed to be interested in doing a deal for Dembele on deadline day, though a move never came to pass. The former Fulham forward did travel to London on Tuesday but only for a scan on his troublesome knee injury.