This summer, soon-to-be Chelsea boss Antonio Conte will attempt to lead Italy to the European Championship crown. After a poor start to the campaign, the Blues climbed up the table under Guus Hiddink and secured a top-half finish – a reasonable achievement considering their woeful position in December.
Chelsea are a very ambitious club and the 2014-15 title winners will be looking to get their hands back on the Premier League trophy next season. At the time of writing, Chelsea are priced at 9/2 in Coral’s Premier League tips and they will certainly push England’s elite sides close after a year in the footballing wilderness.
If nothing else, Conte will have Chelsea well organised and the Italian will drill self-discipline and integrity into the entire squad. In fact, Conte has been described as the “Italian Mourinho” in the past and his ‘win first’ attitude will appeal to Chelsea’s avid fan base. The Blues will benefit from his vast experience, both at domestic and international level.
The Blues are expected to be active in the summer transfer window and Conte will try to bring in at least two or three new players ahead of next season. Napoli forward Gonzalo Higuain has been in exceptional form this season and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Chelsea try to tempt him to move to Stamford Bridge.
Should John Terry announce his departure, Chelsea may also look to sign a world class central defender. They have beenlinked with a move for Real Madrid wonderkid Raphael Varane and he would be the perfect partner to either Gary Cahill or Kurt Zouma – who has missed the majority of the current campaign.
Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool are likely to challenge for the title but Manchester United may be Chelsea’s main rivals next season. If the Red Devils relieve Louis van Gaal of his duties, they may approach Jose Mourinho and if anyone is capable of leading the 13-time Premier League champions back to the top, it’s ‘the Special One’.
In the build-up to next season, you can keep up with all of the latest Premier League tips, transfer news and odds from Coral’s website. Conte has never managed in England’s top flight before and the Italian’s unique style might not suit the Premier League – but one thing’s for sure, it’s an exciting time to be a Chelsea supporter right now.
This season was an anomaly – Chelsea are ready to return to the big time and Conte can lead them there. They may not win the title next season but they will almost certainly compete for the crown. And with a couple of additions, they will battle it out with England’s elite once more…