Chelsea have reportedly earmarked Lorenzo Insigne as a potential replacement for Eden Hazard, who could move to Real Madrid this summer.
According to a report in The Sun, Lorenzo Insigne is the subject of interest from Chelsea. The Napoli forward could replace Eden Hazard in Antonio Conte’s attack, should the Belgian move to Real Madrid in the summer transfer window.
Insigne progressed through the ranks at Napoli and after a few loan spells away from the club, he has finally established himself as a key figure for the first team at San Paolo.
A mainstay in attack in Maurizio Sarri’s side, the player was instrumental in the Partenopei boasting the best attacking figures in Serie A this season. In fact, Insigne was in inspired form all through 2016/17, playing all but one Serie A game while bagging 18 goals and 9 assists.
His exploits for Napoli have now earned the 26-year-old an admirer in Chelsea, who look set to make a move for him this summer. The Blues are in danger of losing their talisman, Eden Hazard to Real Madrid, who are eager to pull out all the stops in order to land the Belgian winger.
Meanwhile, Hazard, himself, has refused to rule out a potential switch to the Santiago Bernabeu, meaning Chelsea could be resigned to losing their star man. Chelsea have even been willing to offer the Belgian a massive £300,000-per-week contract to fend off interest from Los Blancos.
But Hazard is yet to pen to paper on the deal, thereby piling on Antonio Conte’s concern regarding his departure from the club. And for his replacement, the Chelsea boss has turned his attention towards Insigne, who he has previously managed when he was in charge of the Italy national team.
The Premier League champions have already made contact with Insigne’s representatives, and could be set to make a formal offer for the player soon. Insigne would make for a like for like replacement for Hazard at Stamford Bridge, although it remains to be seen if he can settle quickly in England to create a similar impact as the Belgian.
Meanwhile, Napoli value the player at £45 million, a figure that Chelsea will have no problems forking out. It now remains to be seen if Hazard makes his way to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer, thereby forcing Chelsea to make a move for Insigne.
