Chelsea finally close in on Eden Hazard’s long-term replacement

Eden Hazard has been badly missed by Chelsea since his departure for Real Madrid, but there may now be an incoming replacement for the Belgian.

Chelsea have been pretty inconsistent in the Premier League so far this season and are winless in ten of their 21 league outings in the campaign. Frank Lampard’s side’s biggest issue is goal scoring and it is fair to say that the Blues are missing a difference maker such as Eden Hazard, who left for Real Madrid in the summer.

Undoubtedly, Chelsea do have some players of amazing quality in their forward line, but they do require someone consistent. Willian and Pedro have shown that they can turn up at times, but are inconsistent now given their age, while the likes of Christian Pulisic and Tammy Abraham are still lacking the experience which a world-class player has.

Frank Lampard’s side was blessed by the CAS after it’s transfer ban imposed by the FIFA was lifted some weeks ago, allowing them to make changes to their squad in January. The Blues have a good amount of defenders and midfielders, but there needs to be an investment made on the frontline and Wilfried Zaha is the primary target, Fox Sports reports.

Wilfried Zaha has been a talismanic figure for Crystal Palace in the last five years and has been crucial for them in every competition. Since checking into the Selhurst Park in February 2015 from Manchester United, Zaha has made 345 appearances in all competitions, scoring 56 goals and setting up 68 for his teammates all this without being on set-pieces.

Zaha was also on Arsenal’s radar during the summer and was pushing for a move away from south London but his agent’s failed to sanction a deal and were eventually fired. The Ivory Coast winger has now reportedly hired Pini Zahavi, who is thought to be closely related to Chelsea’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich.

The Blues have reportedly prioritized on Wilfried Zaha’s signing ahead of some superb players like Jadon Sancho and Timo Werner, probably given his lesser price tag as compared to the other two players. That being said, he would still cost the Blues in excess of 60 million pounds if they make a move for him in the winter.

Roman Abramovich is an owner who spends on the team so Chelsea won’t behave stingy while trying to sign Zaha, but they need to be mindful about saving money to land a central defender as well. The Blues may also require a left back given that Emerson Palmieri and Marcos Alonso have both deteriorated in quality over the last few months.

What other players do you think Chelsea must sign to strengthen their roster for the rest of the season?