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Chelsea planning for life after Eden Hazard as Fifa refuse to freeze transfer ban during appeal
Chelsea are drawing up a Plan A and Plan B for the summer, but there is a growing acceptance that both are likely to include selling Eden Hazard to Real Madrid.
Fifa’s refusal to freeze the club’s two-window transfer ban during Chelsea’s appeal has put the club in limbo and needing to come up with two different strategies.
But the Blues fear there is little they can do to stop Hazard joining Real, whether or not they are banned from signing players during the summer window.
As revealed by Telegraph Sport on Monday night, Real have approached Chelsea over Hazard who wants to move to the Bernabeu and has showed no inclination to extend his contract that expires at the end of next season.
The Belgian is determined to join up with his idol Zinedine Zidane at Real and is aware the Spanish club have now initiated contact with the Blues.
It appears the only point of negotiation left will be over the fee, with Chelsea still wanting at least £100 million for their star man.
Chelsea are taking legal advice over Fifa’s stance and remain hopeful that the world’s governing body will conclude their appeal process before the summer, allowing the Blues to go to the Court of Arbitration of Sport in the hope of at least getting the ban frozen.
But Chelsea are now having to consider both scenarios, which have wide-reaching implications on their approach to the summer.
Agents of players whose contracts are running down, players out on loan and potential transfer targets have been told all decisions have been put on hold while Chelsea reassess their options and speak to lawyers.
David Luiz had been expected to leave at the end of his contract this summer, while at least one of Willian or Pedro, who will both have a year left on their deals, had been likely to be sold.
Chelsea have also been preparing to cash in on the likes of Michy Batshuayi and Kurt Zouma, who have spent the season out on loan and could earn the club significant money.
But the Blues will delay decisions on which players can leave permanently and the possibility of handing out any new contracts until they have a clearer idea of whether or not they will be able to sign any players in the next window.
Chelsea’s young loanees are waiting to find out the club’s plans for them. Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Reece James and Jake Clarke-Salter have all impressed at Aston Villa, Derby County, Wigan Athletic and Vitesse Arnhem.
The most likely scenario for all four players had been to go on loan again at a higher level next season, but Chelsea must now consider whether or not any of them could boost their squad should the ban be enforced during the summer.
Chelsea are also hamstrung in their efforts to line up incoming deals for the summer with the ban hanging over them.
At least one of their targets known by Telegraph Sport has four clubs chasing him who have already started to try to start work on a deal. But the Blues cannot offer any guarantees until they know their fate.
Chelsea are also having to draw up their legal case for their long-running dispute with former head coach Antonio Conte, who is pursuing his full £9m severance after being sacked last summer.
A Premier League arbitration panel has been appointed to rule on the matter and if the case cannot be settled then it could go to the High Court.