The transfer essentials for Chelsea Football Club this summer

 Chelsea, winners of last season's UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup, had a poor season overall. They had the chance to win seven trophies throughout the campaign, but could only come away with the one, the UEFA Europa League.

Chelsea played a total of 69 games in all competitions this season, and had to play between two and three games each week, so to say that the side struggled in some areas is understandable. However, if Chelsea are to again challenge for the Premier League and the Champions League, they will need to strengthen the side in a few areas on and off the pitch. 

 First things first, the Blues need to appoint a new and reliable manager, one that has proven his success on the big stages. After the departure of interim-manager Rafa Benitez, Chelsea are left to sort out who they want to lead the side for the next season.

Jose Mourinho should be their man. He has proven his success with the club, the fans are passionate towards him, and the players in his squad seem to perform exceptionally under his guidance - at least they did during his first stint as the Blues manager. The quicker Mourinho is placed in charge, the earlier his philosophy will be implied within Chelsea Football Club, and that will only benefit the club during the off-season. I think Mourinho will sign for Chelsea, but the quicker it is done, the better. 

 On the field now, Chelsea should be looking into the transfer market for a central defender, and need to decide on a defending partnership. With their ageing inspirational leader John Terry not getting any younger, and with the likes of David Luiz and Branislav Ivanovic playing as a holding midfielder and right defender respectively, Chelsea will need to find a reliable half to partner the consistent Gary Cahill.

I think if Jose Mourinho was in charge of Chelsea, he would do everything in his power to bring in Sergio Ramos, and this would be a fantastic asset for the sometimes unsteady Chelsea defence. Ramos is a leader, who reads the game well and is decent in attacking situations. He is reasonably quick and he does not mind getting stuck in with challenges,  something he would be doing a lot of in the physical Premier League. Sergio Ramos and Gary Cahill would be very reliable, and would be a huge step in challenging both Manchester clubs in the Premier League title race.

 Chelsea have a tremendous midfield, with so much attacking creativity and talent, as well as defensive stability. Their holding midfielders are all strong players, with the likes of Ramires, David Luiz, Frank Lampard, and John Obi Mikel all being good on the ball, and having good skills to control the centre of the park.

Chelsea has too many options in the attacking area of midfield, and should look to offload some players to allow for more squad space and more funds. With Juan Mata, Eden Hazard, Oscar, Marko Marin, on loan player Kevin de Brunye, Victor Moses, and Yossi Benayoun, Chelsea's midfield options are overcrowding, and it would be very difficult for the manager to keep all players content with their roles in the club.   

 The position in Chelsea that should be their main priority to fill on the field is the strikers role. With the inconsistent Fernando Torres scoring a number of goals in every competition bar the Premier League, and Demba Ba failing to make an impact at the club since his January arrival, I believe Chelsea need to sweep these players out and bring in a complete new attack. One player that would be great for Chelsea is Wayne Rooney, whose future at Manchester United is anything but clear. Rooney has shown his abilities and success in the Premier League for a number of seasons, and has been vital in the success of Manchester United over the past few seasons. With van Persie's arrival seeing Rooney's involvement become limited, the striker would thrive off a move to Chelsea, where he would be surely starting every game. 

 If that move didn't end up happening, then I believe Chelsea should focus on Edinson Cavani. Cavani is much like Drogba. He is big, strong, physical, and great in front of goal. The Uruguayan was Serie A's top scorer with 29 goals, and led his Napoli team to second place at the end of the season. Cavani would bring goals with him, as well as a tremendous work rate. His fitness would fit in with Chelsea and their demanding schedules. Cavani is a tremendous talent, and Napoli will be very fortunate if they can retain his services next season.

 Before any transfer targets can be discussed, the managerial position is the main priority for Chelsea, and should be filled as quickly as possible. Including Chelsea, four of the top six finishing sides will begin the new campaign with a new manager, so if Chelsea look to have any advantage in the season, it is in their best interests to figure out who their best option is to lead the side. 

Keep passionate, keep hungry.

-Alexhorne4

Follow me on Twitter: @Alexhorne_4