After confirming that Diego Costa is, in fact, ours and not anyone else's and that everybody's super duper happy from Costa to Conte to you and me and even this puppy at my feet, the Chelsea head coach was asked whether he had a first-choice eleven in mind yet with two weeks to go until the opening match.
Conte either misunderstood or decided to sidestep the question. Either way, he ended up suggesting that Chelsea's transfer activity is not quite done yet.
Conte: 'The West Ham game is not too far - two weeks. In the future something can happen [with] the transfer market in and out.' #CFCTour
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 3, 2016
But that of course he's happy to be working with the current squad, who are showing good behaviours and attitudes.
Conte: 'I am pleased now to work with these players. There is a good attitude. I am working very well with these players.' #CFCTour
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 3, 2016
A few weeks ago, one of the expected departures would've surely been Juan Cuadrado, but the Colombian winger looks set to stay. Conte has recently re-iterated his desire to work with the 28-year-old, while Cuadrado's former manager, Vincenzo Montella, who's now in charge of tomorrow's opponent, AC Milan, was firmly evasive on the issue.
Montella refusing to confirm whether AC Milan signing Cuadrado or not - 'he is a Chelsea player, you will have to ask him'...he says #cfc
— Simon Johnson (@sjstandardsport) August 3, 2016
We'll see if Conte's hints are only regarding loans (for example: Matt Miazga) and possibly low-impact signings, or if we're still looking to make a big, Kraken-sized wave or two in the transfer market. Season starts in two weeks, but the window is open for another month.