Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has identified Napoli attacker Lorenzo Insigne as a perfect replacement of the Real Madrid-bound Eden Hazard.
There is no denying the fact that the Belgian sensation is wanted by the Galacticos and the 26-year-old himself made a shocking revelation earlier this month by saying that he would consider his options should Real come knocking his doors. He said,
“Of course, that’s all. We all dream. Of course, I would consider it if Madrid made an offer.”
Reports suggest that Chelsea are expecting Real to come up with ‘massive bid’ to acquire Hazard’s services and to fill the void, Conte will turn to Serie A and look to add Lorenzo Insigne to the squad. According to The Sun, a fee of around £45million is what Chelsea have to fork out to get Lorenzo’s deal done. With the Italian already aware of Conte’s tactics, this transfer might work wonders for both the player and the club.
However, the primary concern for the Blues will be to keep hold of Hazard and they have already tabled a £300,000-a-week contract for the Belgian. He is yet to put pen to the paper. Scoring an impressive 16 goals and 5 assists, Hazard was simply one of the best performers for Chelsea last season and filling the void left by him will certainly not be an easy task.
But in Insigne, who scored 18 goals and 9 assists last season, Chelsea will find an almost similar replacement. The 25-year-old might initially struggle to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League, but given his style of play and Conte’s style of management, it will only be a matter of weeks for him to get into the groove.
Insigne’s attacking flair is similar to Eden Hazard. Both have quick feet, impressive dribbling abilities and like to cut inside the box to give defenders a run for their money. But what gives Insigne a slight edge in this comparison is his excessive work-rate, which Conte will find handy.
Believe it or not, Insigne will be a perfect fit for Antonio Conte!