Chelsea sign Davide Zappacosta from Torino in a £25m deal... but who is the new Italian face at Stamford Bridge?

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Chelsea missed out on a number of their primary transfer targets this summer, but manager Antonio Conte did succeed in his attempts to bring compatriot Davide Zappacosta to Stamford Bridge. 

The right back was a surprise deadline-day signing from Torino after a four-year deal was agreed with the player following a £25million fee being finalised between the clubs.

Sportsmail's Italian football expert SHERIDAN BIRD provides the lowdown on a man Conte knows well from his time as manager of the national side.

Davide Zappacosta penned a four-year contract worth £45,000 a week at Stamford Bridge

Zappacosta provides the Premier League champions with cover at full back this season

Early days

Zappacosta, 25, joined the famed Atalanta academy in 2011 after making a mark in youth football in his native region of Lazio. The Bergamo side loaned him to lower league outfit Avellino. When the southern team won promotion to Serie B in spring 2013, Zappacosta tattooed his arm with the date of the triumph (5-5-2013).

He was recalled by Atalanta and played 29 league games in 2014-15, scoring three times. Torino were impressed and in July 2015 paid a combined £7m for him and midfielder Daniele Baselli. A reported £2.5m of the fee was for Zappacosta, so Toro's wily owner Urbano Cairo couldn't say no when Chelsea offered £25m for the buccaneering right-back.

Conte selected the powerful, rangy defender for Italy's 30-man pre-Euro 2016 group, although he didn't make the final squad for France. Zappacosta, from Sora, 115km from Rome, has since won four international caps.

Zappacosta has four full Italy caps and was at Torino for two seasons after leaving Atalanta

Strengths

Crossing is his calling card. Davide might not be in namesake David Beckham's class, but his whipped, curling crosses (and his No 7 shirt at Toro) are reminiscent of the England legend.

His centres are manna from heaven for a brave centre-forward who is willing to gamble and get between the central defenders. Andrea Belotti was the beneficiary at Torino, and could be again at next summer's World Cup.

Zappacosta has bags of energy and a good shot. He can play on either flank in a four or five-man defence. Those options, and his hard-working approach, make him an excellent acquisition for the Blues. He's got the work ethic of a superstar but the ego of a foot soldier.

Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo welcomes the new signing after the £25m move

Antonio Conte admired the right-back's qualities when he named him in a pre-Euro 2016 squad

Weaknesses

It's a cliche about attacking full backs, but Zappacosta has work to do on the defensive part of his game. 

Zappacosta told Torino's website last year: 'You never stop improving. When you play in a four man back line you need to use more intelligence and concentrate more. 

You can't make any errors because unlike a five-man defence, there isn't as much cover, you have to pay attention in every situation.'

To give him credit, the Italian showed signs of progress in that area last season. Conte is a master of transforming promising defenders into world beaters (see Leonardo Bonucci) and is the perfect coach to continue Zappacosta's development.

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Simone Cerrano, Mediaset

'Having covered many Torino matches pitch side, I have been close to Davide on the flank. His physical presence is notable, he puts everything into tackles and is a tireless runner. He is wholehearted and tough. That makes him ideal for the Premier League.' 

Torino club president thanked the defender and wished him the best for the rest of his career