This week has been rife with speculation that Eden Hazard will finally leave Real Madrid next year. Whether this comes in the January transfer window or during the summer is not yet known, however there are some clues.
The speculation began a few days ago when Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said, “I would never force a player to stay. If a player wants to leave, they have to leave” which was aimed towards Eden Hazard.
Since then, Hazard has actually said he won’t leave Real in January which means that’s not likely to happen. Nonetheless, money talks and if he’s frozen out by then, he could possibly move. Regardless, it looks as though he will be staying put for the summer at least.
Potential suitors include the likes of Newcastle and Manchester United. Both are flush with cash and there’s a reported fee of around £40 million for the Belgium playmaker. Interestingly, his contract doesn’t run out until 2024, so there will be a fee required.
Having said this, Hazard will also turn 31 in January, with many claiming his best years have passed him whilst at Chelsea. He’s also on a staggering £415,000 per week whilst in Spain.
So it would take a huge deal to pry him away from Madrid and he may choose to sit out his final days in sunny Spain. It’s no wonder he has such a fantastic shoe collection then! Of course, with their newfound wealth, Newcastle could tempt Hazard, but it wouldn’t make sense for him to leave until the summer to ensure they’re still in the Premier League.
Until then, it seems as though Eden Hazard will be mostly warming the bench of Real Madrid alongside Gareth Bale. His case remains a curious one though, considering he was so good at Chelsea in England but is yet to recapture that form in Spain.