What do Chelsea need to improve on this season?

Chelsea finished last season in third place in the Premier League, an admirable finish for most but below expectations for the London club.

Boss Jose Mourinho expects championships every year wherever he manages, and he’s hoping his second season at Stamford Bridge will exceed his first.

The Blues already had a strong squad, but quickly added to it by signing Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas. Not too long after, a deal for Atletico Madrid’s Diego Costa was finalized after months of speculation he would join.

But there is still room for Mourinho to strengthen it even more, and here are some of the ways he can do that:

Full back: Ashley Cole is not returning after eight memorable seasons at Stamford Bridge, and with 19-year-old Kurt Zouma who can be deployed in the position expected to remain on loan elsewhere in Europe this season, the club has an obvious need at left back. Branislav Ivanovic and Cesar Azpilicueta deserved their positions in the starting XI last season but playing in 4 competitions requires strength and depth. This is something that Chelsea do not have at this current time.

One possibility for Mourinho is Filipe Luis, the 28-year-old Atletico Madrid star who could join Costa in a move to Chelsea. Another target is Sevilla’s Alberto Moreno.

Centre back: While this may not be as pressing of a need for Chelsea at the moment, John Terry is 33 and not getting any younger. He has a lot of mileage on those legs, as well, so resting him a little more this season may keep him fresher throughout the season. Ivanovic can play there in a pinch, but he’s 30. A more long-term replacement is certainly in order.

Feyenoord’s Stefan de Vrij would be an ideal replacement, and at 22 would be able to learn behind Terry before eventually succeeding him once he enters his prime in a year or two. He has been heavily linked with joining Luis van Gaal at Man United next season, so Mourinho will have company in courting the Dutch stalwart.

Central Midfielder: Longtime mainstay Frank Lampard did not have his contract renewed with the club, leaving an opening in the midfield. Mourinho has already addressed this position by adding Fabregas, but it would not be a surprise for him to play further up in the formation behind the striker.

Mourinho would probably like to add a skilled playmaker, someone who keeps the ball on a string and can make pinpoint passes all over the pitch. Bayern Munich’s Toni Kroos has been rumored to be wanting to leave the German side, and Chelsea would make a lot of sense given their need and his skill set. Pairing him with Ramires, a more defensive-minded CM, would allow Kroos to utilize his playmaking skills for all of the talent the Blues have up top.

Striker/Forward: This is another position Mourinho has already upgraded this off-season by adding Costa, but with Demba Ba, Samuel Eto’o and possibly Romelu Lukaku all heading out the door, there should be room for one more striker.

Chelsea have been rumoured to be looking at the likes of Mario Mandzukic, Gonzalo Higuain, and Edinson Cavani (just to name a few) and any of them would be a nice complement either starting next to Costa or coming off the bench for him. Mourinho likes his strikers big and physical, and all three of these players fit that bill.