While Conte has claimed that Chelsea will not be buying a new center back in the current transfer window, he could have a sneaky workaround solution to add a bit of depth to the squad by recalling young Nathan Aké form his loan at AFC Bournemouth.
Aké has impressed with his recent play in the Premier League, cementing his place in manager Eddie Howe's plans as a centre back for the Cherries. He’s also quite capable at left back and in defensive midfield as well, and this versatility could indeed be very attractive to the Chelsea head coach.
"[Nathan] Aké is a really good player and now in the last five games he's started to play with Bournemouth and is playing every game. Honestly, I'm evaluating his situation, because Ake could be an interesting opportunity in this window, yes, for us."
-Antonio Conte; Source: ESPN
ESPN claims that Conte's assessment as well as any decision that might be made should be done this weekend.
That said, bringing Aké back to Chelsea — which he himself may not prefer at this time — carries with it a high risk of him becoming only a back-up and thus seeing less playing time. This would not be an ideal course of action right now.