Report: Chelsea to reinvest £60M windfall from Oscar sale

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte wants to sign a defender and midfielder with the riches from the sale of Oscar to Chinese outfit Shanghai SIPG, according to The Telegraph's Matt Law.

Among the defenders reportedly on Conte's mind are Roma's Antonio Rudiger, Fenerbahce's Simon Kjaer, and Burnley's Michael Keane. There's also apparent interest in Monaco full-back Djibril Sidibe and midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, along with Belgian bulldog Radja Nainggolan.

Chelsea is widely expected to receive a figure around £60 million for Oscar in the January transfer window, and although the Blues have won a club-record 11 matches in a row and built a six-point lead atop the Premier League table, there is a desire to reinforce the squad.

The 25-year-old Brazilian has said his goodbyes to his teammates, who've climbed the standings without his help.

Now that the transfer is all but a done deal, Conte is clearly looking to recruit a supporting cast for his regular starters.

The Italian manager has enjoyed the benefits of playing in one major competition, largely fielding the same XI in a 3-4-3 formation during Chelsea's winning run.

But the players Conte has identified aren't easy to pick off, with Monaco's Bakayoko and Sidibe in the thick of a Champions League campaign and Roma's Rudiger and Nainggolan key protagonists in the capital club's chase for a first Serie A title in more than a decade.

Longtime target Leonardo Bonucci also signed a new contract until 2021 with Juventus earlier in the week.