- The incoming coach has plenty to work with when he takes over the Blues ahead of next season but must make some key improvements to the squad to ensure they challenge again
Antonio Conte will inherit a Chelsea side only good enough to achieve a mid-table finish in the Premier League when he begins work at Stamford Bridge in the summer. It's a situation very similar to that which he faced when taking over at Juventus in 2011 - assuming control of a club big on reputation, but short on delivery. He will have the opportunity to make his mark on the squad in the transfer window but should not plan for a wholesale restructuring of the playing staff. Chelsea have plenty on the books who can improve.
Having decisively seen off Petr Cech for the goalkeeper's shirt, question marks have begun to form over Thibaut Courtois. His presence was certainly missed through the early part of this season when suspension and injury curtailed his involvement.
Since replacing Asmir Begovic, however, Courtois's form has wavered. Chelsea fans were bemoaning Cech's sale to Arsenal after Courtois conceded a bad goal against West Ham recently and he no longer looks the same goalkeeper who was so impressive at such a young age at Atletico Madrid. That said, he is only 23 and will recover.
Conte's Juventus had a solid foundation for success in Gianluigi Buffon and the incoming coach will no doubt be expecting similar assurance from Courtois.
Chelsea's backline will be reconstructed over the summer, with France defender Kurt Zouma likely to become a major player. Gary Cahill's decline and the continued uncertainty around John Terry's status means the 21-year-old will be given a more prominent role in the team.
Currently sidelined through a knee injury, Zouma will miss Euro 2016 but will be back for the early part of next season. He was an ever-present for Chelsea until his injury and was one of the few players to escape close scrutiny over form. Zouma is a dependable, promising centre back and one on which Conte will be pinning his defensive hopes for the future.
In Ruben Loftus-Cheek, the Blues have finally produced a youth team product worth extolling. Although the London club have been dominant at youth levels, not a single player from the underage sectors made a signifcant impact on the first team from John Terry's days until now.
Loftus-Cheek is going to be the one to smash through that barrier and is the most likely candidate to be the main man in Conte's midfield. When Paul Pogba ditched Manchester United for Juventus, it was Conte's careful guidance which turned the Frenchman into one of the world's best midfielders.
Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan was forced to deny any involvement in negotiations with Conte and Chelsea while on international duty with Belgium last month but it is nonetheless known that the 27-year-old is a favourite of the coach.
Conte is well-acquainted with Nainggolan from his time in charge of Juventus and sees him as the ideal candidate to improve the midfield. The likes of Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic have blown hot and cold this season and Conte needs muscle and energy in the centre of the field. Nainggolan has those qualities in abundance.
Amid gathering speculation about his future, Eden Hazard has simply failed to deliver this term. The 25-year-old has failed to score in the Premier League all season long and was similarly anonymous in the Champions League too. No one Chelsea player better typifies their descent from champions to also-rans than the PFA Player of the Year.
He has not looked sharp or focused enough for duty and now faces a summer of uncertainty. He seemingly cannot stop linking himself with a move to Paris Saint-Germain and talking about how hard the French champions would be to turn down, but he still has a job to do with at Stamford Bridge. If he decides to stay, or, more accurately, if Chelsea decide to keep him, then Conte faces a challenge in re-energising the one-time darling of the club's support.
As revealed by Goal, Gonzalo Higuain leads Conte's list of candidates for a striking spot at Stamford Bridge. The 28-year-old Argentine is the first player in a decade to hit 30 goals in a season in Serie A but looks unlikely to follow in his hero Diego Maradona's footsteps by leading Napoli to a Scudetto.
While it is known that he is content in Naples, he could yet be tempted to move on. What a transfer for Higuain would do for Diego Costa's future is not yet known. While the forward's form has improved since Jose Mourinho's departure, he is understood to be considering his options with Atletico Madrid keen on bringing him back to Spain. In the event that Costa departs, the goalscoring burden would fall on the ex-Real Madrid man who has all the attributes to succeed at the Bridge.
Not many Chelsea players can hold their heads high this season and be particularly proud of their output. Willian is a shoo-in for their player of the year awards while Cesar Azpilicueta didn't let anybody down. John Obi Mikel is enjoying life under Guus Hiddink and those three will indeed be vital for Conte to thrive.
Conte maximised the output of Leonardo Bonucci and Claudio Marchisio at Juve when both were considered dispensible by the club. To that mix he added Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal. There were tweaks to the playing staff and it was good enough for a league title in an unbeaten season. Conte will need the full backing of his players at Chelsea, who must buy into his way of thinking.
Improving the players on the books and integrating them with new signings in the summer market will be the key to Conte's success.
Antonio Conte will inherit a Chelsea side only good enough to achieve a mid-table finish in the Premier League when he begins work at Stamford Bridge in the summer. It's a situation very similar to that which he faced when taking over at Juventus in 2011 - assuming control of a club big on reputation, but short on delivery. He will have the opportunity to make his mark on the squad in the transfer window but should not plan for a wholesale restructuring of the playing staff. Chelsea have plenty on the books who can improve.
Having decisively seen off Petr Cech for the goalkeeper's shirt, question marks have begun to form over Thibaut Courtois. His presence was certainly missed through the early part of this season when suspension and injury curtailed his involvement.
Since replacing Asmir Begovic, however, Courtois's form has wavered. Chelsea fans were bemoaning Cech's sale to Arsenal after Courtois conceded a bad goal against West Ham recently and he no longer looks the same goalkeeper who was so impressive at such a young age at Atletico Madrid. That said, he is only 23 and will recover.
Conte's Juventus had a solid foundation for success in Gianluigi Buffon and the incoming coach will no doubt be expecting similar assurance from Courtois.
Chelsea's backline will be reconstructed over the summer, with France defender Kurt Zouma likely to become a major player. Gary Cahill's decline and the continued uncertainty around John Terry's status means the 21-year-old will be given a more prominent role in the team.
Currently sidelined through a knee injury, Zouma will miss Euro 2016 but will be back for the early part of next season. He was an ever-present for Chelsea until his injury and was one of the few players to escape close scrutiny over form. Zouma is a dependable, promising centre back and one on which Conte will be pinning his defensive hopes for the future.
In Ruben Loftus-Cheek, the Blues have finally produced a youth team product worth extolling. Although the London club have been dominant at youth levels, not a single player from the underage sectors made a signifcant impact on the first team from John Terry's days until now.
Loftus-Cheek is going to be the one to smash through that barrier and is the most likely candidate to be the main man in Conte's midfield. When Paul Pogba ditched Manchester United for Juventus, it was Conte's careful guidance which turned the Frenchman into one of the world's best midfielders.
Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan was forced to deny any involvement in negotiations with Conte and Chelsea while on international duty with Belgium last month but it is nonetheless known that the 27-year-old is a favourite of the coach.
Conte is well-acquainted with Nainggolan from his time in charge of Juventus and sees him as the ideal candidate to improve the midfield. The likes of Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic have blown hot and cold this season and Conte needs muscle and energy in the centre of the field. Nainggolan has those qualities in abundance.
Amid gathering speculation about his future, Eden Hazard has simply failed to deliver this term. The 25-year-old has failed to score in the Premier League all season long and was similarly anonymous in the Champions League too. No one Chelsea player better typifies their descent from champions to also-rans than the PFA Player of the Year.
He has not looked sharp or focused enough for duty and now faces a summer of uncertainty. He seemingly cannot stop linking himself with a move to Paris Saint-Germain and talking about how hard the French champions would be to turn down, but he still has a job to do with at Stamford Bridge. If he decides to stay, or, more accurately, if Chelsea decide to keep him, then Conte faces a challenge in re-energising the one-time darling of the club's support.
As revealed by Goal, Gonzalo Higuain leads Conte's list of candidates for a striking spot at Stamford Bridge. The 28-year-old Argentine is the first player in a decade to hit 30 goals in a season in Serie A but looks unlikely to follow in his hero Diego Maradona's footsteps by leading Napoli to a Scudetto.
While it is known that he is content in Naples, he could yet be tempted to move on. What a transfer for Higuain would do for Diego Costa's future is not yet known. While the forward's form has improved since Jose Mourinho's departure, he is understood to be considering his options with Atletico Madrid keen on bringing him back to Spain. In the event that Costa departs, the goalscoring burden would fall on the ex-Real Madrid man who has all the attributes to succeed at the Bridge.
Not many Chelsea players can hold their heads high this season and be particularly proud of their output. Willian is a shoo-in for their player of the year awards while Cesar Azpilicueta didn't let anybody down. John Obi Mikel is enjoying life under Guus Hiddink and those three will indeed be vital for Conte to thrive.
Conte maximised the output of Leonardo Bonucci and Claudio Marchisio at Juve when both were considered dispensible by the club. To that mix he added Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal. There were tweaks to the playing staff and it was good enough for a league title in an unbeaten season. Conte will need the full backing of his players at Chelsea, who must buy into his way of thinking.
Improving the players on the books and integrating them with new signings in the summer market will be the key to Conte's success.
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