Chelsea’s dismal season is bound to have some after effects even if Guus Hiddink, the new manager is able to finish in the top half of the table.
The biggest issue for the London franchise will be the situation of star player Eden Hazard who seems to have lost all his touch from the last season.
The Daily Mail has reported that Chelsea will make a move for £60million-rated Antoine Griezmann in the summer if Eden Hazard pushes to join either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain.
Greizmann on the back of his impressive displays at the Calderon has now become one of the hottest properties in the world of football. He was branded as unavailable for a move even in summer by the Spanish outfit, who were facing a ban on transfers for the next two windows by FIFA.
However, with the ban lifted off both the Madrid sides, Eden Hazard’s move to Real Madrid and Griezmann being available are both possible in the summer.
The 24-year old however has a 60 million buyout clause making him the most expensive player in Atletico Madrid’s history. He may be allowed to leave the club to bring in the funds that can help Atleti to re-build before the ban on the next two windows hampers their progress.
PSG are also interested in the Frenchman as an insurance with Sweden international Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s contract at the club set to end this summer.
However, with Madrid and the French outfit interested in signing Eden Hazard, it seems that Chelsea are front runners for the signature of the 24 year old who would be a like to like replacement for the Belgian whose time in England seems all but over.
Hazard, the player of the season in the 2014-15 season has endured a mediocre time this season as he has not been able to repeat his heroics either under Mourinho or Guus Hiddink.
However, he signed a 5 and half year contract with the club last summer and Guus Hiddink insisted that he will play a big role for the club in the years to come.
When asked about his situation at the club, ‘It’s not up to me, it’s up to the club,’ said Hiddink. ‘When he gets his rhythm back, then he’s of big value to Chelsea.”
‘I don’t want to step on the strategy of the club but he’s a very important player, a nice player. He has this injury and that came back in the Palace game [on January 3]. That has been an unstable situation for at least two months. Hopefully he is coming back to where he was before. He needs training and game fitness and you get that by playing games.’
With the quality of the player and the teams at stake, this move for Eden Hazard is soon becoming an interesting transfer saga that is bound to run late into the next transfer window.