The Eden Hazard to Real Madrid transfer saga just won’t go away for Chelsea, with more bad news on that front today.
As re-reported by Sport, Spanish TV show El Chiringuito claims Hazard has agreed a contract with Real Madrid.
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This follows months of speculation surrounding the Belgium international, who has, tellingly, still not signed a new contract with the Blues as he edges ever closer to it expiring at the end of next season.
It seems clear it’s time for Chelsea to start planning for a future without Hazard, so here’s our list of six recommended replacements – two of which are at the club already. Well, sort of…
1) Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona)
A player whose name is everywhere at the moment after a tough time at Barcelona, Don Balon have claimed Philippe Coutinho is a target for the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United, and that he may be available for around £92million.
The Brazil international seems an ideal like-for-like replacement for Hazard, with his skill, intelligence and eye for goal from an attacking midfield role on the left making him a very similar kind of threat in attack.
That said, he’d be expensive and seems very much the kind of big-money buy Man Utd might make these days, particularly with the Red Devils in need of an upgrade on flop signing Alexis Sanchez.