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Chelsea ace Eden Hazard and four other Premier League stars who could replace Neymar at Barcelona

Eden Hazard has previously been tracked by Real Madrid
Eden Hazard has previously been tracked by Real Madrid

Despite Javier Tebas’ best efforts and baseless threats, Neymar will soon be a Paris Saint Germain player. Tebas can refuse to accept the €222m but from a legal standpoint has no leg to stand on. It’s more a question of posturing, as if he’s some great protector. He somehow believes he can single-handedly defeat the Spanish legal system as well as FIFA and UEFA. “You want some? I’ll give it ya.”

Could you imagine him fighting tooth and nail to defend Atletico Madrid if Manchester United had deposited Antoine Griezmann’s buyout clause?

Like Chandler hanging onto Janice’s shoe in Friends, it didn’t stop her leaving and this charade won’t stop Neymar from doing the same. “No, I won’t accept it. You can’t leave!” Well prepare to see Tebas sat on his sofa in his tracksuit bottoms eating plenty of ice cream until he reaches phase two.

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After all the articles on how much money Neymar will make per day, per hour and per second get boring the real story is how Barcelona react.

The Brazilian’s time at the club is a thing of the past and they must move on. The focus now switches to who they themselves can bully buy. I’m sure they’ve seen the laughing and finger-pointing from all sides of world football at losing a star player. Yet when the shoe is on the other foot it might not appear so funny.

Eden Hazard – Chelsea

In the same vein as Gareth Bale, Eden Hazard has spent so many summers linked with a move away. The Belgian is one of the best midfielders in the world and would be a fine addition to Barcelona’s squad. After a forgettable campaign under Jose Mourinho a couple of years ago, Hazard returned to his best under new coach Antonio Conte and helped Chelsea regain the Premier League title.

There’s no doubting his happiness at Chelsea because we’re seeing, under Conte, the old Hazard who gives defenders nightmare. But do you think he would turn down the chance to join Barcelona if it was offered to him? Hazard failed to add the FA Cup to his collection but there’s another trophy which appeals to him even more: the Champions League. Are Chelsea contenders for that this season?

Barcelona are reeling after seeing rivals Real Madrid lift the famous European trophy for the second consecutive year. It’s imperative for the club to challenge in Europe again and Hazard could help make that a reality. Not a signing for the future, a bright prospect, but for the present and in the prime of his career.

Manchester United – Ander Herrera

Even before the Neymar-PSG story hit the newspapers there was interest in Herrera from Barcelona. The combative midfielder was one of the stars at Manchester United last season and would add much needed stability to Barcelona’s midfield.

Louis van Gaal didn’t know how to use Herrera and it wasn’t until Mourinho arrived that United fans got to see the best of him. Sat next to Paul Pogba the two formed a formidable partnership. They did this despite lacking anyone else of quality to play alongside them. The signing of Nemanja Matic adds extra quality to that midfield and fans hope it’ll free up Herrera even more.

Hererra made his debut for Spain last November and could maybe consider a move to one of Spain’s biggest sides would increase his chances of playing more regularly. At Barcelona he’d also link up once again with former Athletic Club coach Ernesto Valverde.

United insist they won’t sell and plan to open talks over a new deal this month. Until he actually puts pen to paper though expect Barcelona to monitor developments closely.

Philippe Coutinho – Liverpool

Unlike Herrera, Barcelona’s interest in Coutinho only formed when Neymar already had one foot out of the door. I guess we’ll never know for sure whether the Liverpool man was targeted because of his close ties to the departing Neymar or not. Now Coutinho is being asked, in part, to replace his friend at the Camp Nou.

As is the case in most deals, Barcelona have already spoken to Coutinho’s camp and the response was positive. Essentially it’s the same thing which Liverpool got into trouble for in their pursuit of Virgil van Dijk. Barcelona have seen two bids rejected and are expected to make another push before the window closes.

Coutinho would play in the midfield three and as such isn’t a like-for-like replacement for Neymar. The problem for Barcelona is Liverpool don’t want to sell and they also know the coffers are full after a certain recording-breaking transfer. There is a limit though and it’s entirely possible Coutinho will be priced out of a move this summer.

READ MORE: Gossip – United ‘seal £27m Aurier deal’, Chelsea ‘target Candreva’

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READ MORE: Who could replace Neymar at Barcelona?

Christian Eriksen – Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs are patiently waiting for their transfer window to get underway but you sense someone forgot to set the alarm. Kyle Walker has already left and no one has come in ahead of another potential title tilt. Fans are getting themselves into a lather and should Barcelona turn their attention to Eriksen it might get even worse.

The Danish playmaker doesn’t get the same amount of plaudits English duo Harry Kane and Dele Alli receive but he’s just as crucial to the team. In a recent interview with FourFourTwo he said this: “Barcelona is a fantastic football club and I don’t think there are many players who would be able to say no to them. However, until there is actually some concrete interest, I don’t have an opinion about that.”

Barcelona might see Eriksen as a more attainable target but we all know how difficult Daniel Levy is to deal with. It would come down to how desperate Eriksen is to move but Spurs must hope it’s a scenario they never have to face.

Mesut Ozil – Arsenal

Ignore the past links to Real Madrid, Ozil has been a long-term transfer target for Barcelona. In fact, according to player himself, he would’ve joined the Catalan giants if Pep Guardiola actually attended the first meeting. “He did not call me either the days after. He did not even send me a text. He did not show me that he wanted to sign me as well. My interest in a move to Barcelona quickly decreased.”

The German international continues to stall over signing a new deal at Arsenal and it feels like he is waiting for someone to make a move. However, despite his moments of brilliance while at Arsenal, Ozil’s stock is on the decline amongst Europe’s elite. His reputation for going missing in the big games is another factor which doesn’t help ‘sell’ him.

Barcelona could see beyond all of that and try to sign Ozil knowing his price won’t be too high. Arsenal’s position is weak because they’ve allowed his contract to run down. Ozil’s only got a year left on his deal.

No doubt fans will see Ozil as an improvement on Andre Gomes though. The Portuguese midfielder struggled in his first year with the Copa del Rey champions. It’s hard to see Ozil being Barcelona’s first choice to improve the midfield but he’s probably one of the easiest big names to sign.