Real Madrid: Chelsea contacted over Eden Hazard return
Chelsea have been contacted by intermediaries proposing a summer return for Eden Hazard - but it looks like a very difficult deal to do...
Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard could be in line for a sensational summer move back to Chelsea.
The Premier League club have been contacted by intermediaries proposing the Belgian’s return to Stamford Bridge, where he spent seven successful years before joining Madrid in a 100-million-euro deal in 2019.
Money and squad make-up are stumbling blocks to Hazard return
It’s a transfer that would be very difficult to pull off, both because of financial questions and the fact that the Chelsea squad is already brimming with players of a profile similar to Hazard’s. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich’s focus is on signing a centre-forward, ideally Borussia Dortmund star Erling Braut Haaland.
Having signed Hazard to a five-year contract when they bought him two years ago, Madrid consider 20m of their 100m-euro investment to have been amortised in their annual accounts each summer. Los Blancos would therefore have to sell the 30-year-old for at least 60m euros this year to prevent the transfer from impacting negatively on their balance sheet.
Madrid would be very happy to do such a deal, but from Chelsea’s point of view, that’s a very high price to pay - in addition to the winger's bumper salary, which is larger now than when he was in England.
Right now, Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel’s priority is not to add wide forwards or attacking midfielders to a squad that already boasts the likes of Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech.
Hazard remains a popular figure in Chelsea dressing room
However, Hazard maintains a very good relationship with the nucleus of senior squad figures at Chelsea, as could be seen when he held his friendly, controversial post-game chat with Blues captain César Azpilicueta after Madrid’s elimination by the West Londoners in last season’s Champions League semi-finals. It won’t be an easy deal to do, but it would be well received in the dressing room.