Eden Hazard continues to cost Real Madrid but wants to stay

Eden Hazard didn’t play a single minute against Sevilla despite Real Madrid being without Karim Benzema, Vinícius, Marco Asensio and Mariano Díaz in attack. He’s not in Carlo Ancelotti’s plans and hasn’t been for a while. A player once worth €100m continues to cost Real Madrid an arm and a leg. His salary this season is €28m gross and if we take the calculator out to do the maths, each of the 392 minutes he has played this season has cost the club €70,000. His single goal came against Celtic in the Champions League in a 3-0 win in Glasgow.

He has a year left on his contract and being part of a possible deal for Harry Kane with Tottenham looks like the only way out. It will be that, or to pay him off, even if it means paying him for the remaining year, but a sale is highly unlikely due to a lack of interest.

This season, Hazard has received his share of the bonuses for winning the three titles Madrid have won (Copa del Rey, European Super Cup and Club World Cup), having played a total of 67 minutes in those three competitions. The 67 minutes came in the Copa del Rey and that was in the first round against Cacereño.

Hazard doesn’t want to leave

Hazard doesn’t want to leave the Bernabéu. He prefers, as Gareth Bale did in his last season, to run his contract out even if he rarely plays, and then decide his next step from 2024 when he will be 33 years old.

Ancelotti is dodging questions about when he will play and the club considers him a hopeless case. Even if Asensio leaves, Brahim Díaz will take his place, while Hazard will be left in the background.