According to the latest reports, Chelsea are preparing for life after Eden Hazard’s departure for Real Madrid and have picked Philippe Coutinho to be his replacement.
The Belgian has refused to sign a new contract which would extend his stay at the Stamford Bridge beyond the summer of 2020. Zinedine Zidane is known to admire the 28-year-old highly and has made him his number one target for the next season.
The Galacticos are prepared to offer around £100m for the marquee player who simply has 12 months left in his current deal. A Spanish radio station, Cadena SER claim that Chelsea will reinvest all of their earnings from the Hazard sale on acquiring Coutinho.
The Brazilian has undergone a torrid season in the La Liga, failing to meet the necessary standards in the Barcelona ranks. He was quite noticeably poor in the Blaugrana’s Champions League campaign as well, making near to no impact during the two legs of the semi-finals against his former side, Liverpool.
It was expected that a £142m investment on the player would deliver greater results but such has not been the case. After an 18-month period at the Camp Nou, Coutinho might be ready to call it quits and Chelsea are the only club to have expressed concrete interest in him.
Roman Abramovich believes the 26-year-old is the ideal figure to replace Hazard in the midfield. The Russian is expected to sanction the fee if the club’s transfer embargo is lifted in the coming months.
See Also:Â Chelsea FC Transfers History 2018-19