A big area for new Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte to address when he eventually arrives at Stamford Bridge after Euro 2016 is the defence.The Blues endured their worst defensive record in 20 years last season when they shipped 53 goals in the Premier League. Not since the 1996/97 campaign had their back line been so porous.It was a surprise to many as Chelsea's defence looked solid as they romped to the title in 2014/15, when they conceded just 32 goals to give them the Premier League's meanest defence.With key defenders a year older and appearing leggy, Chelsea struggled, though. They lacked the dynamism to compete with athletic strikers and runners from deep. On the flanks they were exposed and it meant the centre-backs were often overworked.Italian coaches are famed for their defensive acumen, so Conte will need to live up to that if he is to reverse Chelsea's fortunes. He will need to start by adding some new faces, so we've highlighted three players who can help with the job at hand.John StonesClub: EvertonNationality: EnglishAge: 22After an underwhelming season with Everton, it seems the buzz around John Stones has subsided somewhat. His reputation isn't quite at the same levels it was last summer when Chelsea were attempting to prise him away from the Toffees, per the Guardian.Since the Blues' failure to land him, Stones has come in for criticism for his desire to play out from the back and has developed a reputation for being error-prone.Having just turned 22 at the weekend, it should be expected those problems will torment Stones right now. He is far from from becoming the finished article and is at a stage of his career where he needs to leave Everton to take the next step in his development.We've seen time and again in the past where promising young talents outstay their welcome at one club. Stones has achieved all he can at Goodison Park and needs the challenge of elite football to bring him on that bit more.Chelsea can't offer him European football next season, but in Conte they have a manager who is a master tactician.Stones can supplement a lack of European football with daily training sessions under Conte to improve his tactical acumen and also develop as a defender. His mentor would become John Terry and not Phil Jagielka.We saw something similar with Rio Ferdinand, a player who Stones is attempting to emulate with his style.Ferdinand fancied himself as much as a footballer as he did a defender, and in his early years at West Ham United, it proved to his detriment. The former England international made the same mistakes as Stones is now, but importantly he learned from them.It wasn't until he joined Leeds United that he started to become an elite player, which led to his move to Manchester United in 2002.Ferdinand was the same age as Stones is now when he made that move to Elland Road. It took plenty to wrench him from his comfortable surroundings in east London, but his career benefited massively. Had he remained, would he have become one of his country's finest defenders'The point is, Stones is one of the finest up-and-coming defenders in Europe, and as Chelsea look for long-term replacements to shore up their defence, he's the sort of player the club can build around.Chelsea missed out last summer and need to ensure they don't do so again this year.Raphael VaraneClub: Real MadridNationality: FrenchAge: 23While Real Madrid were celebrating victory in the UEFA Champions League at the weekend, spare a thought for Raphael Varane whose summer has been curtailed by a thigh injury.The French defender not only missed out on being part of Real's 11th European Cup victory, he will also be forced to sit out Euro 2016 after he was injured in training.He will be a big miss for Didier Deschamps as France attempt to repeat their 1998 World Cup success by winning the UEFA European Championship on home soil.It's normally at the summer tournaments where an impressive showing can earn a player a big-money move away from his club side. As European champions, it's difficult to imagine Varane could find a move to a bigger club than Real right now, but he will have no shortage of offers should he show a desire to leave.At just 23, he has 29 international caps to his name and is one of the world's finest emerging talents. He's long been on the radar since Jose Mourinho brought him to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2011 and has become a big star in that time.Varane can do it all; he can tackle, is strong in the air and has no lack of ability with the ball at his feet. He is very much a modern-day defender and as such, the sort of player Conte should be chasing for his new-look Chelsea.It's been the conversation for quite some time. Terry's era is ending and Chelsea desperately need to find players plural to fill the void. Outside of Kurt Zouma and Cesar Azpilicueta, the club's remaining defenders are all the wrong side of 30, with Terry aged 35 and Branislav Ivanovic 32.Conte needs to inject some youth, but young players with experience can be hard to find. Varane fits the bill in every sense, with his quality arguably a mark-up on what Chelsea already boast at the back.However, convincing Varane to give up European football for a season and pay the asking price Real Madrid will be demanding.Leonardo Bonucci Club: JuventusNationality: ItalianAge: 29Moving on from Chelsea's need to inject some youth into their back line, if Conte is looking for a quick fix to shore up his defence this summer, he can do a lot worse than attempting to form a reunion with Juventus' Leonardo Bonucci.It can be seen as lazy to immediately link managers with former players when they arrive at a new club, but it's a trend we've seen time and again in football. When Mourinho first arrived at Chelsea from FC Porto, he brought Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira with him.That was telling as no other players would follow Mourinho in his first season. That he opted for defenders as the two he wanted from his former club proved a wise choice.Mourinho was starting life in a new country and his first move was to ensure Chelsea were defensively sound, so he went for what he knew. Given that the Blues conceded just 15 goals in the league that season en route to winning the title showed where their success came from.Opponents simply couldn't score past them. In all competitions, Chelsea conceded two or more goals in just seven games of the 59 they played. It's a staggering statistic that highlights how resolute they were at the back.If Conte wants to repeat his predecessor's success, he must focus on the defensive strength that was once a cornerstone of Chelsea's dominance. Bonucci would be a good place to start.The Italian comes with the experience of winning five Serie A titles on the bouncea run that was started under Conte's management in Turin. Not only that, he's familiar with the manager's methods and knows how to fit into his systems.Indeed, since Conte departed Juve, Bonucci hasn't been too far away from his influence given he has featured heavily for the Italy national team, where his former club boss has been manager.There is a lot to be said for players who follow managers at different clubs. Chelsea have witnessed the success it can breed, especially with Terry. Not only did Carvalho and Ferreira repeat their Porto success with Mourinho, but it was under the new Manchester United boss that the former England international enjoyed a renaissance in his Chelsea career.Bonucci has the reputation and experience to offer Chelsea what they need in the immediate future.Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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