1. Eden Hazard – Andre Carlisle
My initial thoughts when digging through the processes of Chelsea’s next manager were, 1) he is a madman; and 2) Eden Hazard is surely gone.
But even that is complicated.
We could cash in and chase Paul Pogba, Radja Nainggolan, Arturo Vidal, Romelu Lukaku, etc; but as long as Everton don’t pull another Everton and refuse to let Lukaku depart, everyone listed (or any of similar caliber) would be forfeiting the stage of European football and at least one year of their prime.
Or, Chelsea could Everton themselves and refuse to sell Hazard. After all, he is just one year into a five-and-a-half year contract. And the duty of any manager is to get the best out of their team’s best player. But if Conte is as cutthroat and unimpressed by potential as it seems (see: Balotelli, Mario), Hazard could become an expensive seat-heater.
While an apathetic Hazard is fresh in our minds, I shudder to think what an also severely frustrated Hazard would look like.
If Conte can find and press the Belgian’s killer instinct button without turning him off, Chelsea would have a top-3 player again. Given Conte’s reputation, that might prove as impossible as playing Operation with a chain mace.
Next: 2. Nemanja Matic