5 big moves that could still happen in the transfer window

#1 Eden Hazard and Thibault Courtois to Real Madrid

Chelsea may have to part with the Belgian duo this month

That these moves have not happened is surprising given the many news stories that have emerged about them.

Both players had been linked to the reigning European champions for a number of years now. The state of affairs at Chelsea: uncertainty over the future of Antonio Conte and the continued ownership/funding by Roman Abrahmovic added fuel to the rumours.

Even with the appointment of Maurizio Sarri and seeming return to normalcy at Stamford Bridge, these reports have refused to go away.

It is almost certain that Courtois would leave the club. He has one year left on his contract and has never hidden his thoughts about how much he wants to be paid. This has left the Blues scrambling to sign a replacement before authorizing the reported £35m sale.

That of Hazard is less straightforward. With the exit of Ronaldo, the Belgian superstar has been seen as the right replacement for the Portuguese G.O.A.T. However, Chelsea is well aware of Hazard’s abilities and have resisted all overtures so far.

A world-record €225m has been mentioned and while Madrid certainly has the means, the willingness to pay that fee may be an issue.