Chelsea have a replacement for Eden Hazard in sight, lot depends on transfer ban ruling

It’s not an easy task for a player to get high ratings from French newspaper L’Equipe.

After Lille’s 5-1 crushing victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, Nicolas Pépé was rated 9/10 by L’Equipe for his overall performance, including scoring once and registering two assists.

The Ivory Coast international has scored 19 goals and registered 11 assists in 32 league appearances and with such an impressive record, it’s not surprising for him to attract interest from clubs across Europe.

According to Telefoot, several clubs including Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, along with Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and PSG are on his tracks.

It’s stated the Serie A outfit have already made an offer to the French club for the 23-year-old, but the player is yet to make a decision on his future amid clubs from England and across Europe chasing him.

Chelsea could be on his case, if Eden Hazard leaves the club in the summer. However, they can only sign Pepe if their transfer ban imposed by FIFA is lifted.

Meanwhile, Lille president Gerard Lopez has confirmed his star forward will leave the club after this season.

“Sure [Pepe’s going to leave]. He’s going to get into a range of prices and wages that LOSC will not be able to pay anymore,” Lopez told Telefoot.

“So, it’s clear that there’s a career choice for him too, after that, where will he go? We’ll see. We will not talk about a transfer until about mid-May. I think he’ll have a choice; we’ll see.”