Chelsea: To start new season with a new manager, 3 new players from Italy

Chelsea needs a good summer transfer window this year after the disastrous efforts in the build-up to last season.

Allowing Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic to depart from a side that strolled to the Premier League title in 2016/17 and replacing them with flops like Alvaro Morata and Tiemoue Bakayoko saw the Blues slip all the way down to fifth in Antonio Conte’s second season in charge.

As well as a likely change of manager, Chelsea need to get their mojo back in the transfer market and make a statement with some big-name additions.

Not least because the Evening Standard are reporting that crucial Chelsea duo Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois want the club to make the necessary signings to strengthen as their futures look in some doubt, with the pair having two years and one year remaining on their respective contracts.

One exciting signing could be Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic, linked as a target for CFC by Corriere dello Sport, though Barcelona are also in for the £70million-rated Bosnian.

One of the best players in the world in his position, the creative star could be an ideal long-term replacement for Cesc Fabregas, who looks past his peak after becoming less of a regular starter in the last couple of seasons.

In a potential double raid on Juve, Chelsea are also being linked by Sport Italia (translated in the tweet below from Uber Chelsea) with promising young defender Daniele Rugani for £30m.

It’s suggested a deal is close for the Italy international, who’d be a necessary upgrade and long-term replacement for David Luiz and Gary Cahill after highly unconvincing campaigns in 2017/18.

Finally, there’s also some talk of an interest in Napoli winger Jose Callejon, who would make sense as a player Sarri (tipped to replace Conte by the Sun, among other sources) would want to bring with him to his new club.

The Spaniard is a reliable scorer from out wide who could add some spark to an attack that looked a little flat last season, replacing Pedro after he slipped down the pecking order, and possibly Willian as he’s linked with Manchester United by the Daily Mail.

The print edition of Corriere dello Sport, as reported by TuttoNapoli, claim Chelsea are interested in a player who has a bargain buy-out clause of just £17.5m, according to Calciomercato.

The appointment of Sarri, along with these three names, would surely be enough to signal a bright new start for Chelsea – with a new manager hopefully boosting morale and a more ambitious transfer strategy perhaps enough to persuade big names like Hazard and Courtois to stay and deliver major trophies to the club once again after last season’s disappointments.