Chelsea want Barcelona star to replace Eden Hazard?

Barcelona ace Philippe Coutinho has reportedly been earmarked by Chelsea as the direct replacement for Eden Hazard at the end of the campaign.

The Blues are bracing themselves for the potential exit of Hazard this summer with the Belgium showing no signs of extending his contract beyond June 2020.

According to Telefoot, the west London outfit are already looking into the heir for the Belgian and Coutinho has been identified as one of the prime targets for the summer.

Coutinho has enjoyed a mixed bag of performances since his switch to Barcelona from Liverpool 14 months ago but the Blues remain confident that he can do a job for the club after his previous top-flight showing with the Reds.

Should the Blues miss out on his signature, they are said to have a contingency plan in place with Lille's Nicolas Pepe having impressed the scouts over the course of the current season.

Chelsea are currently under a FIFA-imposed ban for the next two transfer windows and any business for the summer would depend on whether they can either overcome or freeze the embargo.