Much of the incredulity this season has been reserved for the underachievement of the inordinately expensive Manchester United squad and the overachievement of a brilliantly assembled Leicester XI.
But, lest we forget, Chelsea have fared even worse than their traditional title rivals.
A mid-season sacking didn’t help but Chelsea’s third manager in a year will still want to spend significant amounts in the summer to freshen up a squad which doesn’t always look as if it is prepared to die for the cause.
The Mirror states that Chelsea have their eyes on two top players:
Chelsea’s Leonardo Bonucci transfer hopes boosted as they eye Dortmund star Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Mkhitaryan has scored 23 goals from 49 games for Borussia Dortmund this season and has long been linked with a move to England. He has won the Armenian player of the year award no less than 5 times.
As for Bonucci, he has played for incoming Chelsea boss Antonio Conte for the last five seasons at club and international level. When asked if he was interested in a move to Stamford Bridge the player remained reticent.
“I haven’t said anything yet. The question hasn’t been asked, so I can’t say either yes or no.”
At 28 Bonucci looks perfect for a stint in The Premier League. Coming from Italy he may initially be hamstrung by the pace of play in Blighty. But with 55 caps for Italy this is a man who knows how to defend against the best. It’s hard to imagine him making a pig’s ear of his new job – if Chelsea do come calling as seems highly feasible considering the age profile of The Blues’ defence and the appointment of Antonio Conte.