Chelsea seal the deal for £23m Italian star: Why this is a brilliant move by Conte

Transfer story

The time for panic buys and getting deals just in time is here as a few hours remain before the deadline arrives. Chelsea, who have had their fair share of disappointment in the window, are set to sign Torino’s Davide Zappacosta after their failure to get Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Chelsea have a settled first team but the lack of good alternatives could have a big say as they will play more games this season with the Champions League back at Stamford Bridge.

Conte was hoping to sign Oxlade-Chamberlain earlier as he wanted to incorporate him as a wingback and possibly as an attacking midfielder too, but they’ll have to do with the 25-year old Zappacosta.

The reported fee is said to be £23m plus add ons.

Player stats

Zappacosta is a versatile fullback and can be played in a four-man defence or as a wingback in the midfield.

His strengths are his tenacity — something every player needs to have to play regularly under Conte — and his incredible crossing ability. While Victor Moses has performed admirably, Zappacosta can add an extra dimension to the right wingback slot, just like Alonso has done on the left.

With Morata already showcasing how good a header of the ball he is, Zappacosta’s addition will be a welcome sight.

He is also a good passer of the ball and maintained a passing accuracy of 82% last season. From the right, he created as many as 41 chances and considering he played 29 games, that’s a smashing return for a wingback.

Zappacosta rose to prominence at Torino after his £3.87m move from Atalanta in 2015. Since then, he has not only gone on to make his Italian debut but has also gone on to earn the adulation of fans and pundits alike. (Source: Squawka.com)

Worth the fuss?

For all the money flying around in the market, £23m doesn’t look like much, does it? Zappacosta’s stats certainly seem eye watering and he could be the bargain of the deadline day.

His inclusion of the squad could bring more normality to the back three as it’ll enable Azpilicueta to return to the back three and partner Cahill and Luiz, a winning combination.

Chelsea’s new recruits Bakayoko and Rudiger have been shaky, so the fans were a bit apprehensive about the deadline day deal. But Zappacosta seems to be a fine player and will definitely add more solidity to the Chelsea playing XI.