Report: Barcelona joins race to sign Eden Hazard
Barcelona have been tipped to offer World Cup winner Ousmane Dembele as a makeweight in their reported efforts to sign wantaway Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard this summer, with Real Madrid also believed to be keen on the Belgian.
Hazard recently expressed a desire to experience 'something different' and hinted that Madrid would be his preferred destination.
There have even been rumours that the 27-year-old has struck a 'verbal agreement' with the European champions, although failure to agree a fee with Chelsea would see it come to nothing.
And that may be exactly what happens after a report earlier this week quoted a Bernabeu source stating that there are no plans to resurrect the Galacticos transfer policy last seen in 2014 and pay extortionate fees in the region of €200m (£178m) for single players.
It would mean that Barça and other potential suitors could have a free run at Hazard, with the latest gossip from Spain claiming that the Catalans are willing to put forward a proposal that includes Dembele heading to Stamford Bridge on top of a sizeable cash sum.
Earlier this month, similar speculation surfaced linking 21-year-old Dembele with a switch to Manchester United in exchange for fellow countryman Anthony Martial.
Dembele completed a €145m move to Camp Nou last summer to replace Neymar, but a lengthy early injury layoff ultimately wrecked his season and he struggled to establish himself once fit.
