SINGAPORE — After an imperious campaign that saw them clinch the 2016/17 Premier League title, it is not hard to see why Chelsea have been tipped to retain their crown with a month to go before the new season gets under way.

Despite it being Antonio Conte’s debut season in charge of the Blues, the enigmatic Italian did not need a settling-in period as they became the first English side to record 30 wins in a 38-game season and swept to the title in style.

The defending champions gathered for pre-season training on Monday, ahead of an Asian tour that will see them play Arsenal in China on July 22, followed by Bayern Munich (July 25) and Inter Milan (July 29) in Singapore as part of the inaugural International Champions Cup (ICC) here.

While rival teams Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City could mount fierce challenges for the title, Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta says the Blues are all fired up for the task ahead as they make a bid to win their second title on the trot — and sixth overall — this season.

“Now every team will be (fired up) playing against the champions and we have to prepare well mentally to fight for it (wins),” he told local media in a conference call from London yesterday.

“We are looking forward to starting the new season … Obviously it’s a big challenge for us, we know how difficult it is to win it, as we’ve now won it two times in the past three years, but we are ready to fight.”

Their title rivals have not wasted time in strengthening their squads. Manchester City have signed attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva, Everton’s prolific forward Romelu Lukaku has linked up with United, while Arsenal swooped on Alexandre Lacazette.

With teams beefing up their arsenal in the off-season, Azpilicueta said it was impossible to single out any team as the biggest threat.

“This is a league where you compete against six or seven big teams,” said the Spanish international.

“It’s very difficult to predict a champion before the start of the season … the biggest rivals will be the team you are playing against (next) and every team is difficult to play, so we have to perform in every game.”

Chelsea have also dipped into the transfer market, though the arrival of Antonio Rudiger from Roma has put Azpilicueta’s position in question.

The versatile German defender can operate on the right or in the centre, much like the latter, and Barcelona have been heavily linked with a move for Azpilicueta as they look to fill the right-back void left by Dani Alves’ departure last season.

However, the Pamplona native shrugged off the rumours, saying that it was “natural” for players to be linked with clubs during the transfer window.

An exit will surely be felt keenly by Chelsea, with Azpilicueta a first-team regular since arriving at Stamford Bridge from French outfit Marseille in 2012. He has made 228 appearances in the past five seasons and made the left-back role his own when converted to the unfamiliar position at the start of the 2013/14 season.

Nicknamed “Dave” by his team-mates and supporters as they could not pronounce his name when he first arrived, Azpilicueta is looking forward to travelling here for the ICC later this month.

“I went to Spain to relax and spend time with my family, and just to see the sun a bit,” he said, chuckling, when asked what he did during the holidays.

“We will try to play our best, it’s pre-season and we have to start getting into shape.

“It’s also a big opportunity for us to play in front of our fans in Singapore. We know they support us a lot and we are looking forward to playing in Singapore.”

The ICC will be held from July 25 to 29 in Singapore at the National Stadium.

Visit www.internationalchampionscup.sg for more information.

[Pull-out quotes]

On Chelsea’s title defence

“Now every team will be (fired up) playing against the champions and we have to prepare well mentally to fight for it.”

On the International Champions Cup

“It’s also a big opportunity for us to play in front of our fans in Singapore, we know they support us a lot and we are looking forward to playing in Singapore.”