Chelsea have had a nightmare of a season, with just four games remaining of the Premier League season, the Blues sit in 11th, 21 points below the top four.
It couldn’t have gone worse for Frank Lampard’s side this year, who have suffered the consequences of change, whether it be through ownership, managers or players.
One thing the club have done this season is spend, breaking the winter transfer window spending record, bringing in £291m worth of players – to no avail.
This summer will be one of reflection and an opportunity to de-clutter the club behind the scenes in an attempt to change outcomes on the field.
There is an outstanding amount of talent in Chelsea’s ranks, however, it’s speculated that the club could introduce more flair to their squad – and who in world football has more of that than Neymar.
What’s the latest on Neymar to Chelsea?
Sources at ESPN have reported that the Brazilian hopes to leave PSG this summer, despite his contract running until the summer of 2025, with the option to stay a further year.
French journalist Julien Laurens reported on ESPN FC that Todd Boehly has “had meetings” with Nasser Al-Khelaifi regarding the “possibility” of bringing the player to Chelsea in the summer.
The Blues aren’t afraid to spend, which theoretically makes them one of the most likely Premier League club for the £51m-rated forward to sign for.
What can Neymar bring to Chelsea?
Neymar could be the missing piece to Chelsea’s puzzle, and could reignite the power the club had in attack when Eden Hazard was at the centre of everything at Stamford Bridge.
The two forwards were compared frequently during their primes and the Blues have never found a replacement for the Belgian, who was called “spectacular” by Zinedine Zidane during his time at Chelsea.
Despite being past his best at Real Madrid, Hazard was the catalyst to Chelsea’s success during his time in England, which could be replicated to an extent by the potential signing of Neymar.
Although not in the limelight as he was at Barcelona alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, the 31-year-old Brazilian has contributed to 24 goals in 23 games this season in Ligue 1 (13 goals and 11 assists), showing that his time is far from up in terms of being past his best.
In Hazard’s final season at Chelsea, the Belgian was operating at outstanding levels, being one of the best on the ball and averaging 4.22 successful take-ons every game, as well as 0.37 goals per 90 – as per FBref.
Neymar is still hitting numbers close to those recorded in Hazard’s prime, with 2.25 successful take-ons per game as well as a huge 0.58 goals every 90 minutes.
The two are most comparable for their movement on the ball and flair on the flanks, in the 2018/19 season, Hazard averaged 6.90 shot-creating actions per 90, and the Brazilian has recorded 6.24 this season in Ligue 1, showing that he continues to perform as one of the best in his position.
Indeed, the Brazilian really is an “out of this world” talent – as he has been dubbed his fellow professionals, and would be an outstanding first signing under potentially incoming boss Mauricio Pochettino.
With a huge wage bill and uncertainty regarding his status at PSG, only time will tell if Chelsea can pull off another monumental signing.
