Antonio Conte Admits He Can’t Stop Eden Hazard From Switching To Barcelona
Reuters / Peter Nicholls
Antonio Conte admits he would be powerless over the decision to sell club talisman Eden Hazard to Barcelona should Chelsea’s board sanction the move.
Following Neymar Jr.’s move to Paris Saint-Germain for a world record fee of £198 million, Barcelona are in search of a replacement, and have reportedly seen potential in Hazard.
After losing a vital player like Neymar, the Catalans are looking of a suitable replacement, and are reportedly seeking the services of the Belgian international, who impressed everyone with his performance last season- scoring 17 goals and laying down 5 assists across all competitions. The talented winger was also awarded Chelsea’s Player of the Year award and was featured in the PFA Team of the Year.
Hazard’s popularity in Europe is no surprise, as he has already attracted big names like Real Madrid and Barca in the past.
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The winger is certainly a worthy replacement to the ex-Barca man, and moreover, the chance of playing alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez could prove to be too hard to turn down.
However, the Blues boss is keen on keeping the former Lille man, but says there is little he can do if his club’s hierarchy decided to accept an offer that’s too good to turn down.
Conte told the media: “Eden Hazard is a really top player, but I repeat I am the coach and I can give my opinion. But the final decision is always the club’s,” said the Italian. I expect Eden to play for Chelsea. It is not the right moment to lose a player or players.”
The Chelsea manager has already taken a cheeky dig at his club’s board, vaguely expressing his dissatisfaction over the size of his squad on Friday.
However, the former Juventus boss insists new faces will be introduced to the fans, stating he is focused on the overall quality of his roster without spending huge sums unnecessarily.
Meanwhile, there is yet a lot to be seen in Hazard’s case. The 26-year-old is currently sidelined with an ankle injury, and will not feature in Sunday’s FA Community Shield clash against rivals Arsenal.
Written by Ashish Sreejith 
Have had two addictions in life- playing football and watching football. Usually described as introverted but not when it comes to speaking and writing about the beautiful game of football.