Conte suggests Chelsea must overhaul their squad for next season

The Italian coach is set to depart Stamford Bridge, and says the Blues must improve to return to the top four

manager Antonio Conte has suggested that the club must overhaul their squad to return to the top four next season.

Conte will likely depart the club in the coming days after leading the Blues to an FA Cup title over Manchester United on Saturday.

Despite that cup success, Chelsea finished a disappointing fifth place in the Premier League in 2017-18, and will have to be content with football next season.

Conte clashed with Chelsea's board all season over the club's perceived lack of spending in the transfer market, leading to the Italian's likely exit after two seasons in charge.

The 48-year-old insisted his side need to get better defensively in 2018-19, and such improvements would require more investment.

“If you ask me if we can play better then, yes, we can play better," Conte said. "But now the real situation of this club is this: we have to play strong defensively if you want to win a trophy or to get a place in the .

“Maybe we missed the Champions League this season because we tried to play very open and in this moment you can’t do this especially with a strong team because to concede three goals in seven games it means you don’t have stability.

"A great team doesn’t concede three goals or four goals against .

“Then, against , it was the only way, the only way to lift a trophy. Now we are in this moment and if you want to change then we can change our idea, but you must change many players. Understand?"

Conte again hinted at his frustration with the club's failure to back him as he wanted in the transfer market.

"Last season, after we won the Premier League, we spoke with the club and tried to find the right way to defend our title.

"But, as you know, it’s not simple and sometimes you can have not always the same ambition."