After the disappointing start of the season with Luis Felipe Scolari, Chelsea showed massive improvement under Guus Hiddink and the Blues looked really impressive in the second part of the season. Everybody at the club were hoping that the Dutch manager will stay on, but that did not happen since he had to return to coach Russia national team. After careful consideration the club management appointed Carlo Ancelotti to take charge of the team for next season and he is now expected to build a team capable of challenging for honours.
Number of big stars were linked with a move to Chelsea ever since Ancelotti took over, but we are yet to see the first major signing. The Blues missed out on Kaka and Glenn Johnson, while they were also linked with Milan stars Pirlo and Pato. They had a bid for Pato rejected, while Pirlo remains a realistic possibility. Chelsea are reportedly on the verge of signing Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow, while they are also keen on Brazilian Maicon, who has already expressed desire to leave Inter. Manchester City striker Daniel Sturridge and Middlesbrough keeper Ross Turnbull are likely to arrive to Stamford Bridge very soon, but these are not exactly the players who can make big contribution next season.
Ancelotti needs a couple of players in every area of the team, especially since Deco and Carvalho are near the exit door. Porto’s Bruno Alves could be the perfect replacement for Carvalho, but the Blues face a stiff competition from Barcelona for the Portuguese international. Things are not looking very promising for Chelsea fans at the moment, but there is still long way to go before the new season starts and I have no doubts that the team will be reinforced. The first objective in the new season will be Premier League title and Blues are currently ranked as second favourites for the coveted trophy. Unibet offers 3.50 on Chelsea to win the Premiership next season, and the odds are likely to drop once the club sign a couple of world class players, which is something that is bound to happen.
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