Chelsea are in huge danger of losing one of their biggest stars as Eden Hazard has reportedly threatened to leave the club after this season if the Blues fail to qualify for the Champions League.
Italian news outlet Tuttomercatoweb has reported that Italian giants Juventus are preparing to make an audacious bid for the Belgium international if Chelsea fails to finish in top four and the winger pushes to make an exit.
The Belgian joined the Stamford Bridge outfit in 2012 after impressing for Lillee in Ligue One where he became the only player to retain the division’s Player of the Year award.
He played a pivotal role for his club in the 2014-15 season where Chelsea won the league title and the League Cup. He scored 13 goals and recorded 13 assists and won the 2014-15 PFA Player of the Year award.
However, the following season turned out disastrous for both Hazard and the club. Chelsea missed out on a Champions League spot after finishing a lowly tenth in the league and Hazard’s dismal performance throughout the season was a major reason for the poor campaign. He managed to score only 6 goals in all competitions in that season and there were speculations around his future with Paris St-Germain and Real Madrid reportedly interested in him. But fortunately for the Blues, their star man decided to live at the club.
In fact, not only Hazard but several big names were looking to leave the club after the poor season but the appointment of Antonio Conte helped the club to retain all the players. However, the recent results have brought back the memories of the last season and it is expected that Hazard will not tolerate another poor campaign.
The Blues started their season with three consecutive wins but defeats against Arsenal and Liverpool exposed their weakness and showed that the team still needs to improve a lot to challenge for the title.
English news outlet Daily Star has reported that Paris St-Germain are likely to rival Juventus for the star player if Chelsea fails to qualify for the Champions League. Real Madrid, who were heavily linked with the winger, are out of the race after FIFA handed them a two-window transfer ban for the illegal signing of underage players.
Chelsea is currently seventh in the league after seven games and they will be desperate to improve their performance in order to avoid another poor campaign.