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Would love to sign Kante. Keeping my hopes up. Also thinking we need another CB and ST, even with Michy

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I wouldn't be surprised if Conte tried to get Pelle. He obviously likes his hold up and passing game in the 3-5-2.

It also makes some sense insofar as Pelle is 31yo and would likely be a lot easier to convince to come on board even if he was only a backup player. Conte loves team players.

I just don't want to be shite out of luck when Costa is inevitably suspended for a few matches

Pelle seems to work well with Conte. I wouldnt discredit that.

Costa is always a risk of a hammy injury or suspension. Having a possible front line featuring two young and unproven players, whose playstyles appear pretty similar, sounds like a regrettable risk.

If Conte plans on a 2 striker system this season, we absolutely need a backup target st.

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System players are exactly what Chelsea need. Pelle would excel with Conte at the helm. Just because a player isn't worth £100m and doesn't have his name written in lights doesn't mean he can't prove to be a valuable asset in a formation which requires players who suit it. I think Leicester have proven the value of players who fit the system. Pelle would be a great signing for Chelsea.

Slightly off-topic, but Hazard is one of four finalists for the FIFA cover next year. There's no Madden curse with these is there?

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Totally understandable. If that's where the conversation was, I apologize. I just got the impression he wasn't a star signing so some people were put off by the idea of having him at Chelsea.

FWIW, I will say I'm not sure he'd be third string. Batshi is young and not ready for the pressure that comes with first choice striker at Chelsea. I'm also not convinced Costa is built for that type of hold up play striker in a 3-5-2.

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Costa is capable of hold up play, but I don't think it's making the most of his skill set.

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You'd know more about him than I would, but this is why I think it would be integral to have that traditional 9, like Conte used in the national team. If Costa can play off of those aerial knock downs and run at isolated defenders, you may see a great partnership. In any case, I think the most important part of Conte's attack is his 9, but as you said, finding three good CBs probably should take priority above all else at this point.

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You'd know more about him than I would, but this is why I think it would be integral to have that traditional 9, like Conte used in the national team. If Costa can play off of those aerial knock downs and run at isolated defenders, you may see a great partnership. In any case, I think the most important part of Conte's attack is his 9, but as you said, finding three good CBs probably should take priority above all else at this point.

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Yeah, that's kind of why I brought up the Pelle idea in the first place.

Conte's system has always been extremely regimented (why he gets criticism also) where players pass blindly to spots after winning possession and the strong passing, hold up #9 is the main option.

Conte's trademark and it's seemingly more important than scoring goals. . . Conte's had some excellent teams where the #9 was much more a passing option/pivot than a dynamic scorer (Llorente or Matri) with a second striker who's strong but dynamic playing off them like Vucinic, Tevez . . .

It may be that Conte completely re-examines his system.

If he doesn't though, based on what he'd done in the past, I think he may try Hazard some at second striker but he'll also set Chelsea up in a 3-4-3 pretty often.

If you were watching, the formation Italy switched to against Germany late in the match . . . where the second striker, Eder, moved a bit wider but still tries to play off the #9 while Insigne --a pretty similar player to Hazard actually-- was brought on as a pure left winger.

He's used that formation a lot with Juventus and Italy the past few seasons.