Following Chelsea’s statement win against Paris Saint-Germain, there are now some people beginning to tip them for huge success next year.
Chelsea shocked everyone last weekend by thrashing Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the Club World Cup final.
For a lot of people, it was a real coming-of-age moment for the talented young Blues squad.
Alan Shearer thinks Chelsea can challenge for the Premier League when it comes to next season, adding that Enzo Maresca has done an “incredible” job as the club’s head coach so far.
However, reports claim that Maresca’s main target is a top-four finish next year in the Premier League because there’s recognition of the gap they need to close to Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City.
Christian Vieri backs Chelsea to win the Premier League
Christian Vieri, who’s a football legend and retired Italian striker, now thinks the current Chelsea side can win the Premier League title next season.
When discussing Chelsea boss Maresca, Vieri told Gazzetta dello Sport: “Much more than good: he worked for many years with Guardiola, and it shows. He didn’t win [the Club World Cup] just by pressing high: possession, organised football, fast, quality players, and also strength, which is always a plus.”
Vieri then made a bold title claim: “For me, next year Chelsea will win the Premier League and fight for the Champions League.”
Blues icon John Terry isn’t convinced Chelsea can win the Premier League crown with their young crop of stars.
Roman Abramovich tried to sign Christian Vieri for Chelsea
Back in the 2003 summer transfer window, Sky Sports reported that Chelsea tried to sign Vieri, who was aged 30, from Inter Milan, freshly funded by the arrival of Roman Abramovich as the club’s new owner. Blues fans of a certain age will remember the mass arrival of so many high-profile names when Abramovich first purchased the club.
However, the Italian centre-forward stayed put at the San Siro, where he enjoyed some of the best form of his club career.
| Years | Appearances | Goals | Trophies |
| 1999-2005 | 190 | 123 | 1 |
Chelsea still have a rich history with Italian players despite missing out on Vieri. The likes of Gianfranco Zola, Jorginho, and the late Gianluca Vialli all played at Stamford Bridge.
