Piazon loan move to Rio Ave from Chelsea could hinge on financial details — report

According to Record (via Sport Witness), Portuguese club Rio Ave are in fact evaluating a loan offer for Chelsea forward Lucas Piazon — as rumored by other, more dubious sources the other day. However, the move is said to be “far from done’”

One of the concerns holding back the transfer is Piazon’s earnings. Although Rio Ave play in Portugal’s top league, they are still a small club from the country’s northern region whose finances pale in comparison to giants Benfica, Porto and Sporting. Because of that, a deal would have to involve Piazon taking a pay cut, or Chelsea taking on part of his wages (which we have done with Danny Drinkwater’s loan to Burnley). Otherwise, Rio Ave will simply not be able to afford his wages.

A more minor concern is the 25-year-old’s contractual situation, as his current contract with Chelsea ends in June. But that could be resolved with the usual “sign-and-loan” move that the club last pulled with Davide Zappacosta on his switch to AS Roma last week.

So, Piazon is not gone yet, nor has he been forgotten. He’s just waiting to see where the loan winds take him next, for the seventh time in his Chelsea career.