Conte laughs off Hazard rumors after ‘impressive’ Neymar transfer

Antonio Conte was nice enough to save the tabloids some time on their transfer roundups today by letting everyone know that Chelsea are not interested in selling Eden Hazard.

When asked about Barcelona buying Eden Hazard, to replace Neymar, as the tabloids have already blared on their back pages, Conte simply laughed.

"We are trying to buy not sell! Eden is happy to stay with us and play for us."

This isn’t the first time Chelsea have had to put the kibosh on Hazard transfer rumors in recent years, and won’t be the last. In fact, Conte had already stepped in front of these rumors a few days ago, but until Barcelona spend the €222m they received from PSG for Neymar, they will probably continue. That’s just how it goes.

Conte was also asked about the Neymar situation itself, which he sees as the sign of a new reality rather than just something to be fearful of.

“It's a difficult topic. He's one of the best players in the world. They finish their career in the same team or they decide to change. We must be ready to accept this amount of money. You must be ready to spend £40m or £50m for a normal player. If you want to buy a top player you must be ready to spend this money. It's a difficult topic. It's an impressive amount of money.”

-Antonio Conte; source: Evening Standard

With Chelsea in the market for a “normal” player or two, that’s the attitude that all decision-makers at the club will have to adopt.