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Football London
Football London
Sport
Lee Wilmot

The better than Lionel Messi stats that show Chelsea have found their Eden Hazard replacement

Chelsea have already made their first move in the summer transfer market - signing Hakim Ziyech from Ajax.

More players are expected to join the Moroccan at Stamford Bridge, however, with speculation continuing to link the Blues with the likes of Jadon Sancho, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell and Timo Werner.

Head coach Frank Lampard is keen to bolster his attacking options this summer, with a weigh of expectation on young Tammy Abraham's shoulders this year.

Lampard has had to do without Eden hazard, who left the club following the Europa League triumph at the end of last season to complete his dream move to Real Madrid.

And replacing his effervescence has been difficult.

Alan Smith answers Chelsea questions

But in one of their transfer targets, the Blues may just have found the perfect, if not better replacement for the brilliant Belgian.

Much has been written about Jadon Sancho and the youngster's quality, and the stats back up what everyone has been saying.

The Englishman netted his first senior hat-trick on Sunday in Borussia Dortmund's 6-1 thrashing of Paderborn in the Bundesliga.

It was Sancho's first start since the Bundesliga returned after a three-month hiatus.

And with that treble he created a piece of history too.

Sancho joined an elite club of players to have registered both 15 goals and 15 assists in the same season since Opta records began in 2006.

And he is the youngest to have achieved the feat too.

Lionel Messi has managed the feat four times, with Hazard doing so on two occasions. Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez are the other players in Europe's top five leagues to do so.

Former Chelsea ace Hazard did it first for Lille in 2011/12, before doing it again for Chelsea last season - his last in the Premier League.

Hazard was 20 at the start of that 2011/12 campaign, with Sancho starting this season as a 19-year-old.

He has a bright future ahead of him.

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