Antonio Conte successor set for tighter transfer budget at Chelsea

Antonio Conte may have spent this season launching a thinly-veiled criticism of Chelsea’s financial approach but it is not about to change soon.

The Italian is set to compete with Louis van Gaal for the title of ‘quickest managerial sacking following an FA Cup Final’, as the club’s involvement in the Wembley showpiece delays his inevitable departure.

It will come at the end of one of the strangest Premier League title defences in modern times, the tone of which was set during a pre-season tour to the Far East in which Conte’s euphoria at lifting the trophy soon gave way to frustration over a lack of squad investment.

This campaign became one of Conte’s self-fulfilling prophecies, as his persistent concerns about paucity of options and quality materialises in a likely finish outside the top four.

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The Blues are, of course, not about to begin a gritty life on the breadline. They will continue to invest in a squad which requires improvement.

Conte’s successor, however, will almost certainly find that the fiscal responsibility which has underpinned more recent years of the Roman Abramovich era is set to continue, curtailing the grossest largesse and relying increasingly on the raft of players on loan to either yield a profit or improve the first team.

This column understands the club have been weighing up offers from lenders to finance their new stadium, which is estimated to have doubled in cost to as much as £1.2billion.

Chelsea are considering deals which could see them borrow anything from £300-400m to £850m, depending on which financier they choose. The higher amounts are said to be being offered at a surprisingly low rate of interest.

It is significant Abramovich is unwilling to put in the money, given his wealth is estimated at around £8billion. The amount Chelsea borrow will indicate how tough the climate will be for Conte’s replacement.

These stadium plans are an extension of the club’s determination to wean themselves off a dependence on Abramovich’s personal wealth.

Conte is not the first coach to bemoan a lack of spending from a position of strength — Jose Mourinho cited the same frustrations when following an identical pattern in winning the title before falling short of expectations.

And the next manager through the door at Stamford Bridge will live or die by adapting to this environment.