Antonio
Conte believes N'Golo Kante is the type of player Chelsea need in order to
return to the top of English and European football after he completed his
£32m move from champions Leicester.
The Blues and Conte lost their opening pre-season friendly 2-0 against Rapid
Vienna on Saturday but had confirmed the signing of the French midfielder
earlier in the day with Kante set to join up with his new team-mates after a
post-Euro 2016 break.
The Italian also revealed that Juan Cuadrado will return to Stamford Bridge
after a season-long loan spell with his former club Juventus.
Conte has backed Kante to become a key part of Chelsea's midfield this
season and said teams need hard-working players if they are to succeed.
"I want to say Kante was a target and for this reason I'm very happy the
club bought the player," he said. "He's a good player. He has good
technique, fantastic stamina and I like this type of player.
"If you want to win a team needs this type of player - Kante, [Nemanja]
Matic and [John Obi] Mikel - that work hard for the team.
"We identified him, me and the club together, and I think Kante can give a
lot to Chelsea, to enforce a zone which is very important if we want to play
with two central midfielders. He showed last season he's able to play with
another midfielder. I think with this player we've reinforced the squad."
Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi is also set to meet his new team-mates on
Sunday after he joined Chelsea in a £33m deal from Marseille earlier this
month and Conte said the club are still working to add new names to the
squad.
"All together we are working to improve the squad," he said. "We know we
have to but we prefer to wait and go for our targets, rather than go with
emotion and take the players who don't adapt to our idea of football.
"I'm also very happy about Batshuayi. Tomorrow [Sunday] he arrives and he
will start to work with the team.
"I talk every day with the club, it's very important because we know what
the team needs. Myself and the club are on the same line and we know what to
do to improve the team.
"But I repeat, we prefer to wait and take the right player rather than
taking one only for emotion, that's not right for me."
Colombian winger Cuadrado joined Chelsea from Fiorentina in February 2015
but made just 13 Premier League appearances before being loaned to Juventus,
where he won Serie A last season.
"Juan Cuadrado is a Chelsea player. He will come back very soon. He's in our
squad, I'm very happy to have him and train him," Conte said.
"I wanted him when I was a coach at Juventus and he will come back very soon
and train and play with us. Now, he's a Chelsea player and he'll stay with
us. If something changes you'll know."
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