Chelsea could brace themselves for another Real Madrid raid as the European champions plot a lucrative £200 million bid for Eden Hazard.
According to Express, Real Madrid are mulling over an improved bid for Eden Hazard after they were rebuffed in their earlier attempts to sign the Chelsea superstar. It was believed that the European champions deemed Chelsea’s £200 million valuation as far too expensive and cooled off their interest thereafter.
But, the source claims that the Real Madrid hierarchy are still persistent in signing the Belgian, who is identified as a number one replacement for the departed Cristiano Ronaldo this summer.
As of now, the Spanish giants are yet to sign any attacker, having failed in their attempts to sign other top targets in the shape of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. Thus, one would think that Eden Hazard is apparently their best bet in replacing Ronaldo, whose departure to Juventus has indeed left a gaping hole in the attacking department.
However, Chelsea have remained stubborn in keeping hold of their prized asset. In fact, head coach Maurizio Sarri has already iterated the fact that Hazard is happy at his current club and a move away from Stamford Bridge is off the table. It is also expected that Chelsea could soon come up with a lucrative contract extension offer for the Belgian international with a £300,000-a-week deal already being discussed.
That being said, Los Blancos definitely need to make a move for the Chelsea superstar if they are to add more potency in their attacking department. Even though Hazard might not actually replace Ronaldo in terms of goal-scoring productivity, his pace and trickery is a perfect fit for Julen Lopetegui’s tactical philosophy.
But, it’s his ability to link up with teammates which makes him such a sought-after attacker in world football. At Real Madrid, his link-up qualities will allow him to team up with the likes of Marco Asensio, Gareth Bale and Isco, all of whom possess remarkable close control and thus, they could effortlessly move the ball around in the final third.
Hazard is also quite proficient in ball-carrying. Despite his short stature, it’s very difficult to shrug him off the ball, making him an effective ball-carrier who can prove to be a huge threat, especially in the counter-attacks.
Lopetegui can utilize him and Bale in wider positions with Isco operating as the number ten while Karim Benzema leads the attack. Alternatively, Hazard is also familiar with playing as the false nine. Therefore, the Spanish mastermind will certainly be presented with a host of tactical options should he manage to secure the services of the Belgian this summer.
It’s still hard to predict whether or not he is worth the £200 million price-tag slapped by Chelsea. But, one thing is for sure, the Belgian international certainly has the quality to become a great addition to Real Madrid. Thus, it remains to be seen if the European giants decide to come up with an improved offer for Hazard during the remainder of the summer transfer window.
