Antonio Conte has been handed an improved two-year contract at Chelsea and his clear intention to stay at Stamford Bridge should give fans cause for optimism ahead of the new season. Conte transformed a side that finished mid-table in 2015/16 into champions thanks to his tactical nous, canny signings and strong man management. The Italian coach was said to be homesick and frustrated at the club’s inability to reel in his key summer transfer targets and was not short of suitors in his native country. But all that speculation can now be put to bed after he signed on the dotted line and showed he is ready to roll up his sleeves and prepare for another exceptionally competitive season ahead.
Despite winning the title last season and finishing comfortably ahead of second place Tottenham, Chelsea are not the favourites to retain their crown. Free-spending Man City, who finished third last time out, 15 points behind the Blues, and the 2/1 favourites and even lower than that with some bookmakers. Many even have Man Utd as second favourites, despite the Red Devils finishing sixth last time out, a full 24 points behind Chelsea. All the have done is replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic with Romelu Lukaku and sign a Swedish defender who is far from the finished article, so it is strange for bookmakers to think that will allow them to make up an eight-win deficit on Conte’s men.
Chelsea look a great bet to retain their title. You can get around 7/2 with most bookmakers on them to win the Premiership next season, and that is too good to ignore. Shop around and check reviews of reputable sites like BetOnline, and you will be sure to get a good price and could make a great profit by backing Chelsea. Only two managers have ever won back-to-back Premiership titles: Sir Alex Ferguson at Man Utd and Jose Mourinho at Chelsea. But Conte can join that elite group. Why else would he have decided to stay at the Bridge? He has a great team and it will on;y improve in the summer transfer window.
It is arguably harder than ever before to win the title, let along retain it when you consider the riches of so many Premiership clubs. City are spending money like it is going out of fashion, as are Man Utd, while Arsenal, Liverpool and even Everton are hugely ambitious. Tottenham have a superb team full of young and improving players, and teams like Leicester can spring a surprise. The division has never before seen such a stellar collection of managers that includes Mauricio Pocchetino, Pep Guardiola, Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp, Arsene Wenger and Ronaldo Koeman. But last season Conte proved he was better than all of them, and he was similarly invincible managing Juventus in Italy.
Chelsea have the added distraction of playing in Europe next season, but they have a big squad and can cope. There are also doubts about the future of Diego Costa, so there is clearly work to be done in the transfer market. Conte will be disappointed to see Lukaku join Man Utd and Leonardo Bonucci join AC Milan, as both were targets, but there is plenty of talent out there and, as we well know, Chelsea have the financial firepower to compete with any club in the world. It looks as though Chelsea will sign one of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Andrea Belotti and Alvaro Morata, and will eventually take their summer spending to the £200 million Conte was promised.
They have already bolstered their defence with the arrival of Antonio Rudiger, and new signing Timoue Bakayoko looks a beast in the centre of the park. Chelsea will be frightening next season with him lining up alongside triple Player of the Year N’Golo Kante. And let us not forget that Chelsea have the league’s most devastating attacker in Eden Hazard and its best goalkeeper in Thibaut Courtois, with a wealth of defensive talent and strength in depth. With Conte at the helm, this group of players can see off their rivals and maintain their position at the summit of English football.
