Chelsea must still be in a state of shock after suffering a nightmare start to their Premier League title defence against Burnley on Saturday.

The reigning champions recovered from a first-half implosion to pull the scoreline back to 3-2 in the second period, though it did little to abate the nervous tension around Stamford Bridge.

Antonio Conte has endured a frustrating summer transfer window and made no secret of his desire to change that with the August 31 deadline fast approaching.

The Chelsea boss feels his squad lacks depth across several key positions in their 3-4-3 system, namely centre midfield, striker and both wingback roles.

Following an embarrassing opening weekend defeat in front of his own fans, Conte is surely even more desperate to secure the reinforcements he needs to contend for four trophies this season.

Conte has cause to be upset with the Blues’ performance in the transfer market despite landing £125 million worth of signings to date.

Chelsea have welcomed Willy Caballero, Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Alvaro Morata to West London, yet they look bereft of options compared to their title rivals.

Conte has seen no less than seven first team players leave the club this summer – the most telling of which could turn out to be Nemanja Matic joining Manchester United, supposedly against the Italian’s wishes.

But after missing out on a host of key targets this summer, the 48-year-old may have a chance to get back at the Red Devils.

The Mirror reports Chelsea are plotting a move for Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic in a deal that would scupper United’s long-term pursuit of the player.

Jose Mourinho is thought to want one last high-profile arrival at Old Trafford and views the Croatian as the ideal candidate to complete his United jigsaw.

However, Perisic – who scored against Chelsea in pre-season – would also be a perfect fit for Conte given his ability to play across the attacking midfield line or up front.

The 28-year-old – thought to carry a £48 million price tag – is understood to be one of numerous players on the Blues’ late summer shortlist alongside Juventus wingback Alex Sandro, Joao Cancelo of Valencia, and Leicester’s Danny Drinkwater.

It could be a messy end to the transfer window for Chelsea, but Conte won’t care in the slightest if at least a few of these deals can get over the line.

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