Antonio Conte pledges loyalty to Chelsea with new 2-year contract

Antonio Conte silenced rumours of discontent behind the scenes at Chelsea by signing a new two-year contract with the club Tuesday.

The Italian was frustrated by the Blues' inaction in the summer transfer window in mid-June, according to the Guardian's Dominic Fifield, but two lucrative moves in the space of a week - for Antonio Rudiger and Tiemoue Bakayoko, respectively - seem to have been enough to assure Conte of the reigning Premier League champion's continued ambition.

"I am very happy to have signed a new contract with Chelsea. We worked extremely hard in our first year to achieve something amazing, which I am very proud of. Now we must work even harder to stay at the top," Conte told the club website.

"The Chelsea fans have given me so much support since I arrived here one year ago and it is important we continue to succeed together."

In his debut season in English football, Conte endured a disjointed start which led to premature calls for his potential sacking by Chelsea's trigger-happy owner Roman Abramovich. It took a tactical switch - from a 4-2-4 to a 3-4-3 shape - to completely reverse the Blues' fortunes, sending them on a 13-game winning streak that saw the title in their grasp by the end of 2016. Through the whole term, the club claimed a record 30 wins and lost only five matches.

Not only was that formation transformative for Chelsea, it prompted copycat formulas throughout the league - even the characteristically stubborn Arsenal monarch Arsene Wenger fielded a back-three, and beat Chelsea with it in May's FA Cup final.

Chelsea will have more at stake in the 2017-18 campaign, however, as it squeezes Champions League dates into its busy domestic calendar.

"Antonio achieved incredible success last season, adapting to English football very quickly and leading us to the Premier League title," club director Marina Granovskaia said.

"This new contract reflects our belief that he can continue to deliver results both domestically and as we return to European competition in the Champions League."

Chelsea will seek revenge against Arsenal in the Community Shield on August 6, before beginning the new Premier League conquest by entertaining Burnley on August 12.