Antonio Conte plans major Chelsea transfer rebuilding job this summer

Antonio Conte has warned Chelsea that they face a summer of major surgery - regardless of their impending Premier League title success.

Conte’s side could be crowned champions within the week if they defeat Middlesbrough on Monday and then win at West Bromwich Albion on Friday, but their manager says they have plenty of work ahead of them in the close season.

Next season’s return to the Champions League has already been guaranteed and while Chelsea are expected to invest heavily again during the summer, player departures are also likely.

Conte is fully determined to face this challenge head on though and knows only too well the process that Chelsea are undertaking, is only at its beginning. He said: “This is a process. I think no one person thought this season that Chelsea could fight to win the title and could fight to be in the final of the FA Cup. For sure, we are in a moment of transition.

“We are losing a lot of top players who have written the story, the history, of this club. This season we lost [Branislav] Ivanovic, we lost [John Obi] Mikel and, next season, we’ll have lost John [Terry] - three players. Don’t forget Oscar, who went in the transfer market when we sold him.”

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While Chelsea’s history-makers are heading for the exit door, the future of controversial figure Diego Costa also remains uncertain.

The Spain international is the subject of multi-million pound interest from China and the Premier League champions-elect will do well to resist the temptation of cashing in.

A bullish Conte added: “Now it’s very difficult to face this problem (Costa) and I don’t want to think about this problem. I want to focus on the present and be prepared to face every situation and find the right solution.”

Asked whether new signings are under consideration, he replied: “Yes, for sure. But I think every team risks losing big players.

“My expectation was a great challenge in this league against City, United, Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool. Next season for us it will be the same.

“But we have one year to work and then the possibility to go into the market and choose the right players on my idea of football.”

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