5 players Chelsea must upgrade to get back in the Champions League

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 19: Sesc Fabregas (2nd R) of Chelsea reacts after scoring his team's second goal from the penalty during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on March 19, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 19: Sesc Fabregas (2nd R) of Chelsea reacts after scoring his team's second goal from the penalty during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on March 19, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 6
Next
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 19: Sesc Fabregas (2nd R) of Chelsea reacts after scoring his team's second goal from the penalty during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on March 19, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 19: Sesc Fabregas (2nd R) of Chelsea reacts after scoring his team’s second goal from the penalty during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on March 19, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images) /

Chelsea need to improve upon these five players to rejoin the Champions League

To say this hasn’t been a dream season for Chelsea might be a bit of an understatement. The Blues’ season has been much more like a soap opera than a success story.

You can count on significant roster turnover at Stamford Bridge this summer. If, as most expect, Antonio Conte comes in to take over the managerial post, he will certainly want to bring in some of his own players. At the very least, you’ll see some Jose Mourinho loyalists get sent elsewhere.

The squad isn’t completely bereft of quality though. There are still quite a few world-class talents at Chelsea. Some of the new manager’s challenge will simply be getting all the players to play up to their potential. That won’t be as simple as it sounds.

Still, when you see a season that’s been as much of a disappointment as Chelsea has experienced this year, you know that some of the issue has to be a lack of talent in key areas. We examine the five players that Chelsea has to upgrade next season if it wants to regain its rightful place in the Champions League at the conclusion of the campaign.

Next: 5. Cesar Azpilicueta