Chelsea boss Antonio Conte eyes swoop for £45m Napoli ace Lorenzo Insigne as Eden Hazard’s replacement
CHELSEA are eyeing Napoli ace Lorenzo Insigne as an Eden Hazard replacement.
The Blues are ready for a ‘massive bid’ from Real Madrid as president Florentino Perez wants a galactico to aid his re-election.
Insigne would cost Chelsea around £45million.
That figure is less than half of what Real expect to pay for Hazard.
The Blues have offered to make Hazard the club’s highest-paid player on £300,000 a week — but the deal remains unsigned.
Boss Antonio Conte is so fearful of losing the Belgian that contact has been made with Insigne’s camp.
Conte has worked with Insigne, 26, during his spell as Italy head coach.
He feels the winger, with 20 goals last term, is one of just a few players who could replace Hazard.
His Napoli deal runs to 2022 but Chelsea are willing to double his salary to £200,000 a week.
Willy Caballero, 35, is also expected to agree to be Chelsea’s No 2 keeper — after being released on a free by Manchester City.
And the Blues also have to face a messy situation over Diego Costa, with the Spain striker wanting guaranteed playing time ahead of next summer's World Cup, after being dumped via text by Conte.
Costa has been linked with a move to AC Milan after seeming to rule out a switch to China and former club Atletico serving a transfer ban this summer.
The 28-year-old said: "You need to ask Conte what has happened, he's the coach and if he has the option of signing someone else and doesn't want to have problems with a senior player then that's normal.
"But there are ways of saying things, ways of doing things.
"Thanks to God I'm not lacking teams (to join). If Chelsea don't want me I will choose the best option for me."