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Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Chelsea ‘to offer Hazard for Bonucci’

Chelsea are becoming a little bit obsessed with Leonardo Bonucci now and it’s starting to get silly. They evidently think the centre-back is going to solve all their problems and have lost sight of reality. It’s like Gollum going after his ring. Or Phil trying to win back Sharon.

Having so far been linked with bids of £30m, £40m, £50m, £60m and £50m plus Cesc Fabregas for the Juventus defender, the latest offer from the Blues - according to the Sun - consists of a large (unspecified) sum of money plus Eden Hazard.

The same Eden Hazard who, at 25 years old and still considered one of the world’s best midfielders, should be worth more money than Bonucci by any stretch of the imagination.

Signing the 29-year-old Bonucci remains Antonio Conte’s “number one priority”, says the Sun. But there may have to come a point when he accepts that there are also other defenders out there.

Otherwise, what’s Chelsea’s next bid? Hazard, Costa and Willian for Bonucci? £200m for Bonucci? The entire Blues first-team squad for Bonucci?

Maybe Conte would be genuinely satisfied if he could just name the Italian stallion in a line-up of one, and watch his defending skills put to the ultimate test as he takes on the 11 men of Crystal Palace.

But Roman Abramovich may also want to set aside some money for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, according to the Star, which claims that Chelsea and Man City are “ready to battle” for the Borussia Dortmund striker.

He wants to go to Real Madrid instead though. Maybe Abramovich can try to tempt the Germans next summer by offering Leonardo Bonucci in exchange.

The Star also reports on a similar big-money tussle that took place last summer for Neymar, who was apparently wanted by Man City, Man Utd, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid for £140m. But he signed a new deal at Barcelona so, basically, this is pointless information for you to know - sorry.

Nemanja Matic has been pictured shopping in Milan with his agent, prompting the Metro to speculate that the Chelsea midfielder is on his way to the San Siro. It’s also possible that him and his agent simply love to shop.

Elsewhere, Napoli are considering swoops for free agent strikers Dimitar Berbatov and Emmanuel Adebayor (Football Italia), Barcelona want to sign five defenders including Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin (Marca) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic has recommended 17-year-old Swedish striker Alexander Isak - dubbed “the new Zlatan” - to his former clubs PSG and Juventus (Goal). Not Man Utd though - he doesn’t want him nicking old Zlatan’s place in the team.

@darlingkevin