With the new Premier League season just days away, Sports Mole runs its eye over Chelsea and their fortunes.
In:
Andre Schurrle (from Bayer Levekusen, £18m), Marco van Ginkel (Vitesse Arnhem, Undisclosed), Mark Schwarzer (Fuham, Free)
Out:
Patrick Bamford (MK Dons, Loan), Thibaut Courtois (Atletico Madrid, Loan), Todd Kane (Blackburn Rovers, Loan), Marko Marin (Sevilla, Loan), Amine Aflane (Released), James Ashton (Released), Samuel Bangura (Released), Yossi Benayoun (Released), Conor Clifford (Released), Aziz Deen-Conteh (Released), Paulo Ferreira (Released), Ben Gordon (Released), Hilario (Released), Florent Malouda (Released), Archange Nkumu (Released), Nortei Nortey (Released), Adam Phillip (Released), Ross Turnbull (Released), George Saville (Brentford, Loan), Oriol Romeu (Valenci, Loan), Sam Walker (Colchester United, Loan), Gael Kakuta (Vitesse Arnhem, Loan), Patrick van Aanholt (Vitesse Arnhem, Loan) Thorgan Hazard (Zulte Waregem, Loan)
Last Season: 3rd
Manager: Jose Mourinho
Three key players:
First game: Hull City (H), Complete fixture list
Sports Mole says: With Jose Mourinho back at the helm, Chelsea are sure to be major contenders for the Premier League title this season. The man's affinity with the club is a precious thing, and the galvanising effect is likely to propel the Blues towards more success. However, don't expect it to be all smooth sailing - the Portuguese will anger and frustrate people along the way. The best course of action is probably just to strap yourself in and enjoy the ride...
Predicted finish: Champions