Leicester target waning Chelsea star’s resurgent little brother
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A number of media outlets have jumped on a rumour that Premier League champions Leicester will target former Chelsea attacking-midfielder Thorgan Hazard, brother of Eden and first-team regular at Borussia Monchengladbach since leaving Stamford Bridge 20 months ago.
The Daily Express cite reports in Belgium linking Hazard with the Foxes, while The Sun adds little to the story bar sporadic, unrelated quotes from the 23-year-old. Both call him Leicester’s ‘number 1 summer transfer target’.
Any deal could be complicated by Chelsea’s reported buy-back clause, as the one-cap Belgium international strongly suggested after signing on at Borussia-Park that a return to West London might be on the cards:
“It is true that Chelsea has a buy-back option. I’m glad, because I hope to still play for Chelsea. That remains a goal.
“I am focusing on excelling at Borussia Monchengladbach, but I still hope to play for Chelsea one day.”
Hazard has picked up three goals, three assists and a couple of man-of-the-match awards in the Bundesliga this term, and hasn’t really made a breakthrough at international level, so it’s hard to see what the fuss is all about.
In other Leicester-related transfer news, both the Express and the Sun believe Ranieri is also on the trail of Hazard’s fellow young Belgians Dennis Praet and Zakaria Bakkali.
Praet is rated ‘the most likely’ to head for the King Power stadium this summer, according to the current bun at least, with Anderlecht apparently ready to do business for £10m
The 21-year-old is also a once-capped Belgium international attacking-midfielder/number 10/winger-type, with four goals in 26 league starts this season.
Bakkali is as well-travelled as Hazard, despite being three years younger, having taken in spells at PSV and Valencia already, but the out-and-out winger has struggled to make a sustained impact since his stunning Eredivisie hat-trick in 2013, when aged just 17.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
