Thomas Tuchel has sent a message to his Chelsea squad ahead of their opening game of the season against Everton.
The Blues are currently on their pre-season tour of America, facing Club America, Charlotte FC and Arsenal during their time in the United States.
With Raheem Sterling having joined the club already, Tuchel will be hoping to get more names through the door during the summer transfer window as they look to close the gap at the top of the Premier League table.
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Speaking after signing for the Blues, Sterling admitted that he is targeting more trophies in the upcoming season after winning four Premier League titles with Manchester City.
He said: "First and foremost, it’s a pleasure to be here.
"I’ve obviously achieved a lot in my career so far, but there is still so much more to achieve and I’m really looking forward to doing that in a Chelsea shirt, under Thomas’s management.”
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With Romelu Lukaku departing for Inter Milan after an unsuccessful first season at Stamford Bridge, Sterling will be hoping to be seen as the key man in attack.
The Blues are preparing for their Premier League opener against Frank Lampard’s Everton.
Chelsea travel to Goodison Park as they look to start as they mean to go on, hoping to challenge Man City and Liverpool for the Premier League title.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Tuchel has sent a message to his players ahead of the opening game of the Premier League season next month.
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He admitted: "We will try to close the gap in the first game but the first game is Everton and we need to be ready.
“For that, we have some homework to do because we need a strong squad otherwise we cannot compete for what we are used to competing in as Chelsea. I don't want to give in and I don't want to lose this kind of spirit and attitude.
“We need to do our homework and build a strong team."
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More signings are expected, with Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly set to become the second signing of the summer.
The 31-year-old will come in to replace the outgoing Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, as a fee of around €40 million has been accepted by the Serie A side.
Tuchel was said to be ‘driving and pushing’ Chelsea’s interest as he lands his first defender in the window.
It remains to be seen as to who else will join Chelsea’s squad during the summer, but Tuchel firmly has his eyes set on the season ahead as he looks to make a statement from the opening game.
Topics: Chelsea, Premier League, Thomas Tuchel, Everton, Football
Nick Emms