Chelsea need to ensure core of title-winning side remains intact

Chelsea need to ensure core of title-winning side remains intact

Chelsea have enjoyed a fantastic campaign under the guidance of Antonio Conte this term and the Blues could achieve further success this weekend, as they’ll clinch a Premier League and FA Cup double if they beat Arsenal at Wembley.

Conte’s arrival at Stamford Bridge has rekindled the superstar ranks that the Blues boast after a woeful defence of their Premier League title last year, sparking hope that the Italian boss can kick-off a period of dominance from the West London side.

Unfortunately for Conte, the Italian boss is battling against history as no side has successfully defended their Premier League crown this decade and Chelsea have failed to defend their own title since they first secured league success under Jose Mourinho in 2005.

With the return to Champions League action to contend with, as Chelsea certainly benefitted from an absence of European involvement this year, Conte faces a challenge to improve the depth of his squad and ensure they remain competitive next term.

Whilst new signings will be significant and extremely important, Chelsea have to ensure the core of their title-winning squad remains intact and the Blues cannot afford to see too many of their key-players from this season leave.

Top-scorer Diego Costa seems likely to leave Stamford Bridge, having flirted with an exit for the past year, and Chelsea cannot afford to lose any more big names- which means they must fight to keep Eden Hazard, N’Golo Kante and Thibaut Courtois in West London.

Chelsea’s starring trio is a crucial part of the Blues’ spine and each of the aforementioned players has been linked with a stunning move across the continent this summer, with the likes of Real Madrid extremely keen on capturing the Blues’ aces.

Zinedine Zidane’s side, who are looking to become the first club to defend their Champions League crown since the tournaments restructure, are set to spend big this summer as they look to rival the Premier League for world-class additions, following a number of seasons where English football has dominated the market.

Los Blancos have a hefty amount to spend as it is but their transfer kitty could be boosted significantly this summer from sales of players like James Rodriguez and Danilo, whilst other stars including Karim Benzema, Isco and even Gareth Bale have been linked with moves elsewhere.

Those potential departure increase the likelihood of Real Madrid going for broke this summer as they look to establish themselves as the dominant force in Spanish football and on the continent, following a successful few seasons.

Losing the likes of Hazard, Courtois or Kante would be a huge blow for Chelsea and the trio would be almost impossible to replace, so the Blues need to ensure they do whatever it takes to fend off the interest from European giants like Real Madrid.