Chelsea
Premier League • England
Granovskaia ready to give Chelsea green light to sign Hazard alternative
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia is reportedly ready to give the green light for the Blues to sign an alternative target to former Stamford Bridge favourite Eden Hazard.
Vincenzo Pisacane, the agent of former Chelsea target Lorenzo Insigne, has made an admission that is certain to interest Granovskaia ahead of the January transfer window. The 30-year-old’s agent has detailed the current status of Insigne’s ‘surprising’ contract negotiations at Napoli.
Pisacane has revealed that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has only been able to offer the forward a 50% pay cut. That news has seemingly opened their door for Premier League clubs to pounce.
Both Liverpool and Tottenham have previously been linked with the Chelsea target.
Insigne’s agent added that talks between either party are ongoing despite Napoli’s initial offer knocking him back.
“I must clarify that the contract offer comes with a 50% pay cut. I am an agent and I must defend the captain at any time,” Pisacane told Il Roma, as cited by football.london.
Chelsea will have to pay £68m to land Porto winger Luis Diaz
Chelsea will have to pay the release clause of Porto winger Luis Dias if they want to land the Colombian in January, with more news on Antonio Rudiger and Matthijs de Ligt.
“Usually, you offer more money when you want to extend a contract. Lorenzo was surprised [by Napoli offer]. There is mutual respect with Aurelio, but he knows that the proposal must be increased and not cut.”
Pisacane’s public announcement damning the offer is almost certainly a ploy to attract suitors to his client.
Give our social media channels a follow – we’re on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Salary not an issue for Chelsea
Finances are not a major issue in the Premier League, like they currently are in Serie A. To that end, the bigger English clubs are likely to monitoring Insigne’s very closely over the next couple of months.
Insigne, who first emerged on Chelsea’s radar three years ago, is currently on a €5million-a-year (£4.3m) deal at Napoli. But his current deal runs out in the summer, meaning he could potentially walk away for nothing.
He will also be eligible to engage in pre-contractual talks with clubs outside of Italy from January.
The current situation certainly gives Thomas Tuchel’s men a major boost to their hopes of signing Insigne.
As for Hazard, his Real Madrid nightmare continues and it’s highly unlikely he will return to west London.
The injury-plagued Belgian has been strongly tipped for a return to the Premier League, with Tottenham and Newcastle also said to be keen.
READ MORE: Chelsea action sees Liverpool leapfrogged, with striker plan a big worry for Werner