CAPTAINCY OFFER TO KEEP EDEN
MAURIZIO SARRI is ready to make Eden Hazard his captain to try to keep him at Stamford Bridge.
Hazard led Belgium to the semi-finals of the World Cup and is a £180million target for Real Madrid.
But Chelsea are determined not to sell and hope giving him the armband will persuade the 27-year-old to sign the new contract he has been offered.
Sarri, who has been working with his squad for only just over a week, has not made a final decision about who will be skipper, but Hazard (above) tops a list ahead of defender Cesar Azpilicueta and midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
Sarri met with owner Roman Abramovich and director Marina Granovskaia here in Nice last night to discuss transfer targets.
Chelsea had an offer of around £40m for Juventus centre-back Daniele Rugani rejected on Thursday, with the Italian club rating him at £5m more. But a deal could be concluded this weekend.
Rugani’s agent David Torchia said: “Juve for now don’t want to sell, but we know everything has a price.”