Cesar Azpilicueta insists it is not acceptable for Chelsea to be "fighting in mid-table" and says the Blues must get back to winning trophies next season under team head coach Antonio Conte.
Chelsea lie 10th in the Premier League table after 32 matches. Their last hopes of silverware were extinguished in March after defeats to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16 and Everton in the FA Cup quarterfinals.
A disastrous title defence and what technical director Michael Emenalo described as "palpable discord" between the players and management saw Jose Mourinho sacked for the second time in December, with Guus Hiddink returning on an interim basis to stabilise the situation.
Chelsea have lost just one Premier League match since the Dutchman's arrival -- Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Swansea City -- but with major silverware and Champions League qualification now beyond the club's reach, Azpilicueta insists that he and his teammates must do better next season.
"We have Premier League games to win and our motivation is to finish as high up the table as possible, because for Chelsea it's not enough to be fighting in mid-table," Azpilicueta said in the latest issue of Chelsea magazine.
"We haven't won any trophies this season but we want to win as many games as we can and prepare to lift trophies again next season.
"I've been here four seasons. In two seasons, I won trophies and in two I didn't win. So hopefully we will get back to winning trophies again next season. I think we will improve and for Chelsea the only target is to win.
"For the big clubs, if you have one bad season where you don't win trophies, you have to bounce back. We are in a big club here and we have to fight again for trophies next season."
At the confirmation of his appointment earlier this month, Conte pledged to continue the success that saw him claim three successive Serie A titles at Juventus, while Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia hailed the 46-year-old as "one of the most highly regarded managers in world football".