Chelsea are running short on time to rectify what has been a less than satisfactory summer transfer window in the eyes of Antonio Conte.

The Italian is having a nightmare start to the campaign with several key players unavailable and a squad lacking depth in crucial positions.

Conte and his men must quickly regather themselves after being humiliated during a 2-3 defeat to Burnley at Stamford Bridge in their opening match of the season.

The shock result further highlighted the need for Chelsea to secure additional reinforcements before August 31 even with their spending already north of £125 million.

While Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Antonio Rudiger and Willy Caballero are important arrivals for the Blues, Conte is still desperate to bolster his squad for 2017-18.

Chelsea must be prepared to cope with the demands of four competitions this term – a task their squad appears incapable of fulfilling at present.

Conte has been chasing a handful of specific players throughout the summer to increase his options at centre midfield and both wing-back slots.

The West Londoners have been trying to persuade defender Alex Sandro to leave Juventus for months on end but their relentless chase looks to have finally reached a dead end.

Conte is now left with only two weeks to revise his shortlist amid reports that even a world-record bid has failed to tempt the Serie A giants into doing business.

The Mirror claims Juventus have rebuffed Chelsea yet again despite their offer to make Sandro the most expensive defender in history with a £63 million bid.

The Blues surely cannot be prepared to go any higher even with the wing-backs roles being a glaring area of concern within their squad.

But if Chelsea do decide to pay through the nose for Sandro, Juventus club director Beppe Marotta would seem to have a response ready to go.

SANDRO GOING NOWHERE

He insists the Brazil international has no interest in moving to Stamford Bridge, saying: “He said he wants to stay here. So we sent the offers right back where they came from.”

That leaves Conte and his employers in a precarious position at this stage of the summer window.

The Premier League champions look as if their fully-fit squad could struggle to handle four competitions let alone without the complication of injuries and suspensions.

Conte is going to have his hands full over the course of the next fortnight – that much is certain.

Should Chelsea offer even more for Sandro or turn to other options? Share your opinion using the comment box below.