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Chelsea Target £70 Million Nicolas Pepe To Replace Eden Hazard

Chelsea Target £70 Million Nicolas Pepe To Replace Eden Hazard

The Blues star player looks certain to move to Real Madrid in the summer but will Chelsea be able to replace him?

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Chelsea will look to sign Lille forward Nicolas Pepe if Eden Hazard moves to Real Madrid in the summer, as long as they aren't by from making any signings.

Eden Hazard continuously proves that he is far and away Chelsea's best player but there is the ever growing thought that the Belgian forward could be making his exit from Stamford Bridge, with Real Madrid looming as his destination should he leave west London.

It's not the first time Hazard has been linked with a move to the Bernabeu, it also looked likely last summer, but with Zinedine Zidane back in charge of Real and their disastrous season hinting at a big summer in the transfer market it looks inevitable this summer.

The 28 year old has just one year left on his contract so it makes sense to sell him now and be able to replace him rather than chance letting him go for free this time next year.

It won't be easy to find anyone who can replicate what Hazard does for the team but the Blues have already signed Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund, although he's back on loan with the German's.

Despite the Pulisic Chelsea are in the market for another forward and, according to the Mirror, they're going to target Lille forward Nicolas Pepe for the summer in a £70 million move.

Pepe scored against PSG last weekend. Image: PA Images
Pepe scored against PSG last weekend. Image: PA Images

Chelsea signed Hazard from Lille in the summer of 2012, after they'd won the Champions League that May, after he scored 20 goals in the league for the French side.

Pepe has had similar success in Ligue 1 this season and the 23 year old has so far scored 19 goals as 'The Great Danes' have risen to second in the league.

The Ivorian was in fine form on Sunday as Lille shocked PSG in a 5-1 win, when the Parisians could have won the league.

Pepe's having a similar to Hazard's last one at Lille. Image: PA Images
Pepe's having a similar to Hazard's last one at Lille. Image: PA Images

If Chelsea do go for Pepe then they will face competition from Arsenal and PSG, according to other reports.

However the biggest issue for the Blues right now is their transfer ban. FIFA banned them for two transfer windows earlier this year and their appeal to have the ban delayed proved unsuccessful.

Will Hazard be a Real Madrid player next season?

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Topics: Football News, Eden Hazard, Chelsea, Transfer stories, Ligue 1, Transfer rumours, Premier League, Nicolas Pépé, Transfer news, Real Madrid