Antonio Conte hopes Chelsea can do more business after signing 'complete player' Ross Barkley from Everton
Barkley joined on Friday in a £15m deal from Everton
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Your support makes all the difference.Antonio Conte believes Ross Barkley can become the complete player after the England international completed a £15m transfer from Everton to Chelsea on Friday.
Barkley, who saw a planned move to Stamford Bridge collapse on the final day of the summer transfer window, has signed a five-and-a-half year contract with current Premier League champions but will have to wait for his debut while he returns to match fitness following a four-month lay-off with a serious hamstring injury.
The 24-year-old underwent surgery on the problem and last played seven months ago. Conte’s acknowledges Barkley will take time to recover his best form but insists the player can have a big impact at his new club.
“We are talking about a player with great potential,” said the head coach. “He is a complete player but at the same time he is very young and he has just started his career and now he has this great opportunity to play in a great club with ambition and great targets and also to put yourself in this new challenge.
“He is a complete because he has it all. He has stamina, strong physically, good technique and is a complete player. He is a modern footballer. He has not only good technique. He is fast, has stamina, has good technique. He is a modern footballer. I have to still see him and then we have the opportunity to work together and understand how much time he needs.”
Conte was frustrated by Chelsea’s dealings in the summer transfer market. The Italian blames the club’s failure to conclude its business earlier for his side’s slow start to the campaign and, having completed the deal for Barkley at the start of the current window, hopes any new signings arrive quickly this month.
“For sure, this is true because for me it is very important to work with the players very soon and for this reason our start to the season was poor because many players arrive in the last moment and also injured,” he said. “(Tiemoue) Bakayoko was injured as was Danny Drinkwater. Davide Zappacosta arrived in the last moment but he was lucky because he worked with me with the national team in Italy. If I have the opportunity to work soon with the new players it will be better for my team and the new players so they can adapt in our idea of football.”
Conte wouldn’t be drawn on whether Chelsea are likely to make an unexpected move for West Ham United’s Andy Carroll, insisting transfer dealings rest in the hands of others at the club.
“I like to tell the club which is the role we can improve, which is the prospect and the characteristics of the players I need,” he said. “Then the club try to help me and there is one list, two list, three lists and sometimes you can take the first name and sometimes the last name of the list. This is for the club but for sure when you take a player that is the first on the list the improvement will be better.
“The best way to speak with the club in the right moment and to try to give my opinion to try to improve my team. Sometimes the club can make you happy, sometimes not but it doesn't change for me.
“My commitment will always be the same. I try to work hard with my players on the pitch. In this transfer window we arrive with news signings I will be very happy especially if this signing is in the position we need to improve. “
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