Chelsea star Eden Hazard prepared to hand in transfer request to force through Real Madrid move.
As per a report from Spanish publication AS, Chelsea wing wizard Eden Hazard is ready to submit an official transfer request to force a move away to Spanish heavyweights Real Madrid ahead of the next season.
The 28-year-old has established himself as one of the best attacking players across Europe since he moved to Chelsea from Lille back in 2012. Hazard has made 349 appearances for the West London outfit till date, winning two Premier League titles along with an FA Cup and a League Cup.
Hazard has been a long-term transfer target for Real Madrid. The 28-year-old flirted with the idea of a switch to the Santiago Bernabeu last summer, but decided to stay put at Chelsea for another year. The 2018-19 campaign has been a prolific one for the Belgian as he has scored 19 goals and set up 15 more in 49 matches across all competitions.
However, with the season drawing towards an end, speculations linking Hazard with a summer switch to the Spanish capital club have intensified heavily. Real Madrid have had a disappointing 2018-19 campaign and are eyeing a squad rebuild ahead of the next season, with manager Zinedine Zidane intent on adding fresh faces to his roster.
Attack is one area where Real Madrid need serious reinforcements, as they have struggled to deal with the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo last summer. Apart from Karim Benzema, none of the forwards have stood up for Los Blancos this term, barring the young duo of Vinicius Junior and Brahim Diaz, who have impressed in the opportunities that have come their way.
With the misfiring Gareth Bale expected to be on his way out of the club, Hazard would be the perfect man to lead this Real Madrid side into a new era. The Belgian too has his heart set on a move to Spain, but Chelsea do not want to lose their star man this summer, especially as they have been hit with a two-window transfer ban by FIFA.
The 28-year-old will enter the final year of his contract with the Blues in the summer and has no intentions of signing a new contract, which might force their hands. However, as per the report, Chelsea are holding out for a transfer fee of €115 million, which Real Madrid are reluctant to meet, as they will be investing heavily in other areas of the field as well.
This could lead to a stand-off between the two clubs and Hazard, in order to ensure that the move does not fall through, is willing to hand in a transfer request. The 28-year-old does not want to leave Chelsea on bad terms and is prepared to wait for the negotiations to go smoothly. However, should the two clubs fail to reach an agreement, he is ready to put in an official request to seal a switch.
Chelsea’s situation is far from ideal. While the impending transfer ban will have implications on their transfer plans, the fact that they will lose Hazard on a free transfer in 2020 if they do not cash in now will also be playing on their minds. It will be interesting to see how this story develops in the coming months.