Chelsea manager Conte set for hectic end to transfer window

Conte's side face Burnley at Stamford Bridge on Saturday aiming to record a third successive league win following 2-1 victories over Watford and West Ham.

Those performances have provided grounds for optimism that Blues boss Conte is capable of overseeing a title challenge after last season's disastrous campaign, but he would still like at least two more new signings before the transfer window closes next week.

Despite the early form of Diego Costa and pre-season signing Michy Batshuayi up front, another striker remains high on the Italian's wish-list.

Yet it appears a more pressing priority is to bring in defensive reinforcements following the announcement by AC Milan they have rejected a £30 million bid from Chelsea for Alessio Romagnoli.

Milan have made it clear they would not welcome another approach for the 21-year-old and with Napoli having apparently priced Kalidou Koulibaly out of the market, Conte is likely to have to look elsewhere for defensive reinforcements.

A Milan statement read: "AC Milan have received a major financial offer from Chelsea for their own player Alessio Romagnoli.

"The Milan player is not for sale, so the proposal will not have any result. We thank the Chelsea Club with which Milan will continue to have excellent relations ever."

Conte admitted his frustration at Chelsea's limited success in the transfer market, while insisting he does not want the club to pay inflated prices for average players.

- Limited progress -

That has thrown fresh focus on the players Conte already has at his disposal and there are growing signs Nigerian winger Victor Moses will finally be given the chance to establish himself after a succession of loan moves.

And the performances of Ola Aina and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the midweek English Football League (EFL) Cup win over Bristol Rovers provided a reminder of the youngsters pressing for a chance in the senior set-up.

Aina was included at left-back, a problem area following the departure of Baba Rahman on loan to Schalke that left first choice Cesar Azpilicueta without an obvious deputy.

Loftus-Cheek, meanwhile, is anxious to build on his limited progress last season when the midfielder found himself on the fringes of the team.

Burnley secured their first win since promotion back to the Premier League with a surprise 2-0 win over Liverpool last weekend - their first league victory over the Merseyside club for 42 years.

Manager Sean Dyche then made 10 changes to his starting line-up as the Clarets suffered a shock EFL Cup defeat to fourth tier Accrington on Wednesday.

But Dyche insists that 1-0 loss will not dent confidence as Burnley look to end Chelsea's winning start to the season with a first league success at Stamford Bridge in 1991.

"That's just football. We delivered two different performances, one very dominant, one less dominant. We got a win against the odds, and then lost against the odds," Dyche said.

"That's sometimes the way it is. It doesn't change the mood. We know the main target this year. It doesn't mean we're diminishing the thought of a cup but the main goal is what we're trying to achieve in the Premier League, we know that.

"We know the challenge that's ahead of us and we know there's a group that we'd more be hoping to get points against and we know there's a group that's more difficult to get points against, particularly away from home, and Chelsea come into that.

"It is the beauty of football, that's why we all love it, when you can go away to these places with a bit of freedom, take on the game and see what comes your way."