Antonio Conte names two superstar targets he wanted at Chelsea

Conte is the last manager to win a Premier League title at Stamford Bridge.

Antonio Conte has revealed signing Virgil van Dijk and Romelu Lukaku was part of his plan to transform Chelsea into a dominant force in English football.

Conte led the Blues to the 2016-17 Premier League title after a promising campaign that established his reputation as an elite manager beyond Italy’s borders. However, Chelsea’s surprising dip in form next season resulted in a fifth-place finish in the league and Conte’s dismissal.

Since winning their last Premier League trophy under Conte, Chelsea have struggled to find their way back into the competition’s top four. But Conte believes the club could have enjoyed more success by accepting his calls to sign two key players.

“My history says that I always arrived at my clubs in a difficult situation with problems. I always build. After my first season at Chelsea, when we won the title, we could have become dominant in England,” Conte told Daily Telegraph.

“We spoke with Lukaku and Van Dijk, and with those two important players we could have changed the situation.”

Van Dijk moved to Liverpool on a record-breaking deal in 2017, while Lukaku ended up leaving Everton for Manchester United. The Belgian striker was, however, signed by Conte when the Italian manager took charge at Inter two years later.