Chelsea boss Conte was not happy with the transfer business, or lack of it, that his club did last summer.

Alvaro Morata, Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Davide Zappacosta and Danny Drinkwater were the major additions that the Blues made in the off-season.

And with the winter transfer window opening in just over two weeks, the Italian has once again expressed his fears over potential deals in his press conference ahead of the clash with Southampton today.

Antonio Conte said: “I’m a coach. For the transfer market, there is the club. 

"I can give my opinion but the last word is the club’s.”

When asked if that could be an for Chelsea issue in January, Liverpool legend Thompson replied: “I would think majorly. 

“I can’t believe it at these football clubs now. I know things have changed with directors of football or you have other people, Steve Walsh at Everton and when he was at Leicester. 

“It has to be the manager’s final decision. They can flag-up players, he can give his ideas, they can give their ideas and I’m talking a transfer committee etc. 

“But if you’re job is on the line, you should have the final say when it comes to players because you have to deal with them day in and day out. 

“(If) you get somebody who you don’t fancy, straight away when they come in you’ve got a bit of a downer on them because the committee have chosen him rather than this one that he wants. 

“He’s moaned all season so far about what’s happened in the summer and the transfer policy and what’s going to happen, I do not think he’s happy.”