There’s fevered speculation about the future of Eden Hazard with the Chelsea playmaker linked to both Manchester City and Real Madrid.
It’s no secret that the Belgian is growing increasingly concerned with the declining standards at Stamford Bridge. According to Metro, Real Madrid will seek to exploit his disquiet by luring him to the Bernabeu at the end of the season.
The paper says that the Spanish giants are willing to offer Chelsea £100m plus Gareth Bale in exchange for the 27-year-old Hazard. It will certainly be a test of the Blues’s resolve, given their struggles to keep up financially with the two Manchester clubs in recent transfer windows.
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Manager Antonio Conte has gone public with his grievances about the lack of activity in the market and a nine-figure sum, with Bale thrown in for good measure, would be welcomed.
The Welshman has endured a frustrating season in the Spanish capital. Metro says his “strained relationship with the Madrid faithful” could be the catalyst for a fresh start in England.
But the Daily Star has a different take on the matter, claiming that Chelsea and Manchester City could agree a swap deal that would see Hazard go to the Etihad and Sergio Aguero head to the Bridge.
It’s believed that Chelsea haven’t given up entirely on the idea of keeping Hazard – and are soon to offer him a new £300k-a-week deal. While they wouldn’t want to sell him to a Premier League title rival, they would do so if City gave them Aguero.
Apparently Blues owner Roman Abramovich would “love to see him at Chelsea” and the 29-year-old Argentine could be willing to make the move before returning home to finish his career at Independiente.