Chelsea star Eden Hazard has told Barcelona that he wants to join them this summer, according to Don Balon.
What’s the word?
The Belgium international is regularly linked to Real Madrid, but now it appears that their Spanish rivals have taken centre stage.
Don Balon claims that Hazard is tired of waiting for Madrid to make a move, so he is willing to join Barca following Neymar’s exit.
It is believed that the playmaker wants to prove himself in Spain, and that the Camp Nou could be the perfect place to do so.
The publication also states that Monaco star Kylian Mbappe has moved ahead of Hazard in Madrid’s transfer wishlist.
Could Chelsea lose their star man?
Plenty of clubs are sure to be on edge now that Barcelona have pocketed a mammoth fee for Neymar.
The Daily Mail reports that the Catalan giants are now £198m richer after Paris Saint-Germain paid the Brazilian’s release clause.
Due to the fact that money is clearly now not an issue for Barcelona, clubs who have world-class talent in their ranks may be feeling slightly nervous.
If it is true that Hazard harbours a desire to play in La Liga, then it would be difficult to turn down the opportunity to play alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
The 26-year-old has publicly stated numerous times that he plans to stay at Chelsea, but in football, matters can change very quickly.
The Premier League champions need to pull out all the stops to try to keep Hazard at Stamford Bridge, and that could mean offering him a significant pay rise.
Antonio Conte’s side will struggle to successfully defend their title without the playmaker, who scored 17 goals and created seven assists in all competitions last season.
It would be an even bigger blow if he departs at the end of the transfer window, as Chelsea would be left with very little time to find a replacement.