Premier League
It Would Require A Miracle To Keep Hazard From Madrid
As the January transfer window approaches, there is still no clarity on Eden Hazard’s future. Logically, it would follow that constructing the largest apartment in Manhattan would significantly eat into Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich’s resources, but he has somehow found enough time and money to table a massive £350K/week contract offer to his play-maker. The deal would make Hazard the highest paid player in Chelsea history. Maddeningly for Abromovich, the Belgian has yet to sign and commit his future to Chelsea. Russian oligarch billionaire playboys have problems too, apparently.
The Usual Suspects
The puzzle pieces are all present to form a protracted and memorable transfer saga.
The Star With an Expiring Deal
First, there is the protagonist who loves his club yet still hasn’t extended his contract. Enter Hazard who arrived from Lille in June 2012 for £32M after Chelsea caught his eye during its heroic run to an unlikely Champions League triumph a month earlier. His contract expires in June 2020 and Chelsea don’t want to be put in the compromising position of him entering the final year of his deal without an extension.
Hazard was a bright talent when he arrived, but far from the finished product he is now. Under managerial greats Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink, Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri, Hazard grew at Chelsea to be one of the faces of world football.
To show his appreciation for molding him into a superstar, Hazard has repaid Chelsea with the impressive haul of two Premier League titles, a Europa League crown, an FA Cup and a League Cup. Mutual success made Hazard an immensely popular figure at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea a large part of the player’s heart. At first glance, the two sides would appear inseparable.
The Paramour
Every juicy transfer story needs an admirer who slowly intrudes into the player’s consciousness and appeals to their strongest desires in order to unsettle the relationship with their club. As is often the case in the annals of football, that unsettling force is a powerful and rich Spanish bachelor who happens to reside in one of the most famous cathedrals of world football. For Hazard, it is Madrid, not Barcelona, that has long been his muse.
After Madrid’s interest crystallized, Hazard did nothing to quell the rumors. “They’re the best club in the world…it is my dream since I was a kid…when you have a dream, you want to make it happen,” he said. The player has also stated he would also be happy to remain a Blue. Still, he is not hiding that he is flattered by the interest from the world’s biggest club.
There is currently a void in Hazard’s preferred position in Madrid, a void with washboard abs and a chiseled jaw. With Ronaldo now at Juventus, Madrid believe Hazard to be the ideal replacement. The Spanish giants have surely made clear to him that there will be no better time to fulfill his destiny and join the back-to-back-to-back Champions League winners.
It will have been impressed upon him that the trophies, money and fame he gained at Stamford Bridge are meager compared to what he could achieve at the Bernabéu. At 27, he can’t wait much longer before Los Blancos turn their attention to a younger, more attractive option.
Complications
Memorable transfers typically have an “It’s Complicated” phase, which is where things now stand. Hazard’s recent performances are the culprit. He began the season on fire, looking far and away the best player in the Premier League. Chances were being buried with such precision that his coach set a lofty 40 goal target for the campaign.
Hazard was in full flow during Chelsea’s long unbeaten run to start the season. Madrid were confident he was the man they needed. Chelsea thought greedily of the money he’d garner if sold and the goals he’d score if he stayed.
For a variety of reasons, the goals dried up. Hazard is now mired in a 12 game barren stretch. Injuries to his back and ankle have dulled his play. Additionally, Sarri has recently been deploying him as a lone striker. This tactical change has yielded results for the team, such as the astounding 2-0 result over Manchester City, but has dragged Hazard away from his preferred role out wide. He has now been forced to scrap with physical center backs in the middle of the pitch.
The January window does not appear to be a viable option for a move. Madrid want assurance that Hazard can return to top form before they outlay the massive sum required to acquire his services. Chelsea meanwhile will want to sell with Hazard at the peak of his powers to attract top-dollar. For his part, Hazard has stated he does not wish to abandon the club during the middle of the campaign. So this dance will likely continue into the summer.
How Will It All End?
Once Madrid identify a target, it’s typically a matter of when, not if, they get their man. There have been rare cases such as Steven Gerrard and Arsene Wenger where extreme club loyalty prevented a move to Madrid from happening. Hazard loves Chelsea, but not to that extent. His loyalty likely prevented him from leaving prior to this season, but the bond is about to break.
After losing their goalkeeper to Madrid in August, Chelsea will be keen to prevent history from repeating. Ultimately though Hazard won’t want to play the rest of his career wondering what if. Conversely, Chelsea won’t wish to be the cause of his resentment by denying him his dream move. Expect Hazard to be sold for slightly under £100M next summer. Chelsea fans can take comfort from the recent history of rivals Arsenal and Liverpool. Both clubs emerged as stronger sides after selling their versions of Hazard in Alexis Sanchez and Phillipe Coutinho.
While still flush with cash, Chelsea’s financial advantage isn’t what it was a decade prior. The prospect of bringing in £100M for a single player should be enough to entice a sale. After all, Abromovich still needs to be able to afford a parking space outside his place on the Upper East Side. Maybe there will even be a little money left over to buy a replacement winger.
Photo credit to soikeo .info via Flickr
