Manchester City are reportedly looking to break the bank and the British transfer record to sign Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard in a deal worth around £150 million.
According to The Mirror, Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard has a new admirer, with Manchester City emerging as a shock new candidate in pursuit of the Belgian wizard. The Citizens are reportedly plotting a mammoth £150 million move for Hazard – a deal that would be a British transfer record in footballing history.
Eden Hazard is a name that has become synonymous with Chelsea in the last 5 years. Joining the club from LOSC Lille as a budding youngster, the Belgian has now evolved into an enigmatic wizard weaving through defenders with ease. Hazard has been an instrumental figure in Chelsea’s successes, the most recent one being their tryst with Premier League glory in the 2016-17 campaign – Antonio Conte’s maiden managerial Premier League season.
But, the present season has seen the manager cut a frustrating figure, with a lack of signings, along with the consistent pestering of the media as to Eden Hazard and his future at Chelsea, especially with the player linked to a move to Real Madrid. Hazard’s public admiration for Zidane hasn’t exactly helped things either.
But, there could be a major shuffle in the transfer saga, with Manchester City looking to enter the scene. Pep Guardiola recently lost out on Alexis Sanchez, who chose to join Manchester United instead. Guardiola is now looking to bankroll a move for Hazard, who could be on the move in the summer.
Manchester City are ready to make a £150m move for Chelsea’s Eden Hazard after Pep Guardiola identified the Belgium winger as his main summer transfer target. (Source: Sunday Mirror) pic.twitter.com/nKke5HOFf5
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) January 28, 2018
The Manchester City boss is quietly confident, especially with Zinedine Zidane and his future at Real Madrid cast into heavy doubt, thanks to their sub-par 2017-18 campaign thus far. If Real do part ways with Zidane, Hazard could be enticed to look for a move to a club other than Real Madrid, which is where Manchester City comes in.
Indeed, a player of Hazard’s calibre could thrive in Guardiola’s system, in a manner not too dissimilar to the king of dribble Lionel Messi himself. The fee being quoted is also one that could see Chelsea cash in on the Belgian, especially if the player himself shows his will to move to a different club.
At 27, he will represent a better value for money to Manchester City compared to Alexis Sanchez. Surprisingly, while it would be immature to say that the deal will happen for certain, this is a probability that cannot be laughed off, especially with Manchester City’s purchasing power combined with the storm that has brewing at Chelsea.
One very concerning thing would be Chelsea’s inability to ably replace the departure of Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic, which would make the prospect of Eden Hazard’s exit even more depressing, with replacing the Belgian potentially an even more daunting task than the former two.
