Will Conte lead Chelsea back to the Premier League crown?
Chelsea are eyeing a return to their dominant ways of old next season under new manager Antonio Conte.
The Blues endured a season of struggle last term as they had an astonishing fall from grace, leading to the ugly departure of Jose Mourinho in December.
The champions collapsed in on themselves over the opening months of the campaign, leaving them out of the race to retain their crown.
Guus Hiddink arrived for his second stint at Stamford Bridge, but he could only guide the club to a 10th-place finish ahead of the arrival of Conte.
Chelsea are able to be backed at 13/2 in the football matches betting to regain their Premier League title in the Italian’s first term with the Blues.
The 46-year-old will have a strong squad to work with at the Blues, although the club are in need of younger blood, especially in defense.
John Terry extended his Chelsea career by another year to give breathing room in the search for reinforcements, particularly in light of Kurt Zouma’s injury lay-off.
The struggles of Gary Cahill in Euro 2016 will have alarmed Conte, who is used to his defenders being the foundation of his team.
Chelsea could strengthen their quest for the title with a move for one of Italy’s top defenders Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli.
All three players played under Conte at Juventus and the Azzurri, and may be lured to the Premier League after dominating Serie A with I Bianconeri.
Chelsea conceded 53 goals last season, and signing any of the trio would be a large step towards returning to a solid base at the back.
The Blues have already made a major move to bolster their attack with the signing of Michy Batshuayi from Marseille.
Diego Costa enjoyed an excellent debut season in the Premier League, but his lack of form last term was one of Chelsea’s major pitfalls, while his attitude on the pitch makes him a risk for a red card almost every week.
Batshuayi was wanted by several clubs across Europe, but the Blues upped their bid in the region of £32m to secure his signature after the Belgian netted 17 goals for Marseille last season.
The 22-year-old may bring out the best in Costa, who will have to beat Batshuayi for a starting place, which could also see the end of Loic Remy’s career at the Bridge.
Boasting two players capable of notching up to 20 goals each will ensure that the Blues are well in mix at the top of the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have numerous quality players in the middle of the park entering the primes of their careers.
Eden Hazard headlines the group, and one of Conte’s primary objectives will be to ensure that the Belgian returns to his form of the 2014-15 season when he was voted Premier League Player of the Season.
The 25-year-old appeared to have issues with Mourinho that affected his game last term, but should he find his peak again, the Blues will have arguably the best player in the league at their disposal.
Conte has a lot of hard work ahead of him, but he has more than enough ability and talent available to him to return Chelsea to the Premier League summit.