5 challenges that Antonio Conte must overcome to retain the title next season

#3 The advances of Real Madrid

Eden Hazard is the best player in the Premier League, and it isn’t close

Florentino Perez loves to make a statement, and several reports seem to indicate that he has his heart set on landing two of Chelsea’s most valuable assets in Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois. If the Belgians depart for Spanish shores, the West Londoners’ title hopes will be all but dead, and they will be forced to enter another rebuilding phase of sorts.

Replacements such as James Rodriguez and Jan Oblak are ripe for the picking, but Antonio Conte has stumbled upon a treasure chest with this team, and a diluted version of the 16/17 vintage cannot dream of retaining the title against formidable opposition.