Antonio Conte wants to use the £60 million Chelsea will bank from selling Oscar to Chinese club Shanghai SIPG to add at least two new players to his Premier League title-chasing squad in January.

Despite the fact Chelsea head into Christmas six points clear at the top of the table, and without European football to worry about, Conte is looking for a defender and a midfielder to give his squad a New Year boost.

With Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool reluctant to enter the January market unless a unique opportunity arises, Chelsea could be busier than all of their title rivals. Leonardo Bonucci’s decision to sign a contract extension has left Chelsea examining alternative defensive targets including Antonio Rudiger, Simon Kjaer, Michael Keane and Nicklas Sule, who Bayern Munich are confident of signing.