Antonio Conte has told Chelsea they need two or three truly world-class signings to regain the Premier League title from Manchester City next season, citing the arrival of too many players as one reason behind their failure to mount a defence of their title.

Treading dangerously close to the type of criticism of the club’s recruitment policy that has so alienated his employers and seems more and more likely to cost him his job this summer, Conte gave the soon-to-be-dethroned champions his blueprint for catching City next term after watching them slip 18 points behind the runaway leaders.

The Italian revealed his master plan would see Chelsea avoid a repeat of their signing of eight players this term – which he said left them without the “foundation” upon which championship-winning teams were built – and instead limit themselves to buying two or three global stars.

The January transfer window saw Olivier Giroud, Ross Barkley and Emerson Palmieri join summer signings Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Danny Drinkwater, Antonio Rudiger and Davide Zappacosta as newcomers to Conte’s squad, with title-winning quartet Diego Costa, Nemanja Matic, John Terry and Michy Batshuayi among those to move in the opposite direction.

Asked what Chelsea needed to do to catch City, Conte said: “Now we have to struggle to fight for a Champions League place – that is top. We must be realistic. We must be strong to accept this type of situation. Then, in the future, if there is the possibility, you have to try to buy only two or three players – not eight players. Don’t forget, this summer, we brought in eight players and spent a lot less than other teams who bought only two or three.”