KEY POINTS

  • "Extraordinary" Sandro is the best left-back in the world according to Juve boss Max Allegri.
  • Carlo Ancelotti expects Sanches to remain in Bavaria until the end of the transfer window.

Chelsea's transfer window misery looks set to continue after learning that two main targets will not be moving to Stamford Bridge this summer. Juventus full-back Alex Sandro and Bayern Munich's Renato Sanches will both remain with their respective clubs according to their managers in another blow to Antonio Conte's plans for the new campaign.

Though the Premier League champions have lured nine new players to the club including striker Alvaro Morata and Ligue 1 title winner Tiemoue Bakayoko, they have failed to acquire some of their chief targets. The most notable failure comes in the form of Romelu Lukaku, who turned down the chance of a return to west London to instead join Manchester United.

And the list of players which Chelsea have missed out on is swelling further after Juve boss Max Allegri insisted that Sandro will remain with the Serie A champions despite interest from the Blues. A £61m (€68.1m) offer from the club has been rebuffed, according to The Evening Standard, and the Old Lady are ready to stand firm, to leave Conte scrambling around to sign competition for full-backs Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso.

"Alex Sandro? He's a Juventus player, he's extraordinary and he won't leave us," Allegri told PremiumSport, according to the Standard. "He's improved so much since he came to Juve and he has the margins to improve again. Along with Marcelo [of Real Madrid], he's on the best in the world."

Within a matter of hours a second proposed move by Chelsea in the transfer window has been thwarted after their former boss Carlo Ancelotti denied Sanches will leave Bavaria this summer. The future of the Portugal international has been heavily scrutinised since the arrival of James Rodriguez from Real Madrid, with Liverpool the latest club to be linked with his services.

Sanches had indicated he wanted to leave Bayern 12 months on from his move to the Bundesliga champions, having made just six top flight starts in his maiden campaign in Germany. Bayern then confirmed Chelsea were interested in Sanches after the pair's pre-season friendly in Singapore.

Bild has since claimed that Jurgen Klopp is proposing a permanent deal for Sanches should Philippe Coutinho join Barcelona or PSG, with the ex-Borussia Dortmund coach not keen on a much-speculated loan deal. But Ancelotti says neither the Reds nor Chelsea will be securing a deal.

"On Renato Sanches, there's no news," the Italian said ahead of the Audi Cup during which Bayern face Liverpool and either Atletico Madrid or Napoli, according to Football-Italia "He's started the season with us and he'll stay with us until the end of the transfer window, on 31 August. He played well in our last game."

Alex Sandro
Sandro has emerged as Chelsea's chief left-back target in recent weeks. Getty Images