Chelsea prepare second bid for Danny Drinkwater as Antonio Conte calms transfer blues

Chelsea are set to make a second bid for Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater as manager Antonio Conte looks to add three more players before the end of the summer transfer window. The Blues were thwarted with an initial bid for the 27-year-old, with Chelsea keeping an interest in the midfield general since last season and are in dire need for cover owing to a bevy of suspensions and injuries.

The Telegraph reports that apart from a new midfielder Conte also wants at least one more option at wing-back and a forward player. The Blues are also considering rivalling Liverpool for central defender Virgil van Dijk, who has handed in a transfer request.

Drinkwater would also improve their mandate in the homegrown segment, with the Blues severely lacking in that department following the departure of John Terry and others. They are also trying to put in bids for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ross Barkley to boost that area but have thus far failed to make any headway.

However, Leicester are under no pressure to sell as they hold the upper hand on the midfielder after Drinkwater committed his long-term future to the club by agreeing to a new four-year deal last summer. The player himself is interested in a move and has told the club about his desires but Leicester are willing to hold on for a fee in the range of £40m ($51m), which the Champions received for the transfer of Nemanja Matic.

Chelsea have made four major signings thus far, in the form of Tiemoue Bakayoko, Alvaro Morata, Willy Caballero and Antonio Rudiger but Conte recently told a press conference that they need more players to sustain a title defence and compete for other trophies.

He reiterated that the club are doing their absolute best to bring in more players, following their shock 3-2 defeat to Burnley on the opening weekend, with Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas sent off and unavailable for their game against Tottenham Hotspur next gameweek.

"The club are trying to do their best," said the Italian, as quoted by the BBC. "I am not worried, I am ready to fight with these players. I repeat: It is important for us to concentrate on our work, to be focused every day in training and to try to work in our best way. No excuses."