Freshly arrived Chelsea manager Antonio Conte may have barely got his feet under his new desk at Cobham, but some encouraging signs for the latest regime have already emerged.
The £33 million capture of Michy Batshuayi from Marseilles saw the Londoners steal a march on London rivals Tottenham and West Ham, as well as a host of clubs across Europe who were keen to sign the 22-year-old Belgian. Where last season saw the Blues sign glamorous yet ultimately useless strikers in the shape of Radamel Falcao and Alexandre Pato, this time a hungry young hitman with his best years ahead of him has been added the squad.
In addition to that, Diego Costa has arrived back for training after a summer without international obligations and is reported be looking lean and ready for battle. It represents a stark contrast to his rather less svelte return to pre-season 12 months ago, after which he admitted that he had been less than professional with regards to looking after himself while on holiday.
The latest indication that the future might be brightening up for Chelsea was Tuesday's news of Willian signing a fresh four-year contract at Stamford Bridge. After a gloomy season for Chelsea in which Willian was the sole ray of light, it might have been tempting for the former Anzhi Makhachkala player to seek a move away to a more settled club. Instead, Willian has committed himself to the cause, with Conte no doubt sanctioning the retention of Chelsea's reigning player of the year.
The new deal will definitively eradicate the rumours that had been circulating around a possible £60m transfer to Manchester United. Whether there was any truth in those reports is hard to tell, as both Nemanja Matic and now Cesc Fabregas have also been linked to Old Trafford.
The catalyst is, of course, the installation of Jose Mourinho as Louis van Gaal's replacement at United, so all these muted approaches might just be a case of some media outlets supplying more theory than fact. Nevertheless, there can be little doubt that a 27-year-old player at the height of his career and coming off the back of an exemplary season will have piqued the interest of high profile clubs around Europe. Retaining Willian's services will have been paramount and it is to the club's credit that they have managed to do so.
It is easy to see why Conte will have approved of keeping Willian at his disposal. The Brazilian is hard working and diligent in every area of his game, whether surging forward with the ball at his feet or hounding his opposite number. The Italian seeks out players that have both the professional determination to get stuck in, as well as the ability on the ball to make a difference when it counts. Willian ticks both of those boxes.
Work rate and tactical discipline have been hallmarks of Conte's teams, and in both regards Willian fits the bill perfectly. He has no reservations about getting involved defensively and his team ethic is bolstered by the fact that he is more technically adept than most other attackers when it comes to tracking back and tackling. Should the new management team seek to introduce a high-pressing game, Willian is likely to be at the forefront of that policy, using his boundless energy to harass the man on the ball and gain possession in dangerous areas.
Both manager and player should also benefit from his ability to play in different positions. Largely deployed in a wide role during his three years at Chelsea, Willian spent much of his time at Shakhtar Donetsk as a central playmaker, a role in which he blossomed and caught the attention of the wider football world. Willian played there with some success at times as last season progressed, yet his all-round qualities are such that it would not be a total surprise if Conte chose to use him, on specific occasions, in a slightly more conventional midfield role, especially when setting the team up to counterattack. In the increasingly unlikely event that Chelsea employ a three-man defence, Willian could even be used as a wing back, though that could potentially neutralise his scything attacking forays.
The new contract suggests that Willian will once again be a central figure in the team wherever he is deployed. After the standards set by Willian in the last campaign, Conte will be exhorting the other members of his squad to employ the same amount of commitment and quality so that the Brazilian is not the only one left leading the charge. If the rest of the players can be dragged up to a similar level as Willian, Chelsea supporters can look forward to an exciting and successful season.
