Chelsea Transfer News: Franck Ribery Talks Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne Rumours

Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery has assessed two of European football’s brightest young talents but has insisted Chelsea’s Eden Hazard is a better fit for the German champions than Wolfsburg’s Kevin de Bruyne.

Speaking with Bild (h/t Stephan Uersfeld of ESPN) the French star insisted he doesn’t feel as though De Bruyne—linked with a move to Bayern in the German media, per the aforementioned piece—is a natural stylistic replacement for either himself or Arjen Robben:

"

He's a super player, but when I see him I note that he's different to Arjen and me.

He's not a player who takes the ball and starts dribbling, and likes to have the opponent in front of him. De Bruyne's super when he has the space on the counter attack, but at Bayern you usually only have three, four metres—no huge spaces. But he is a good player, and he is still young. He can still learn.

"

Michael Sohn/Associated Press

Ribery then went on to say Hazard could potentially fill the void left by one of the two iconic wide players. “He attacks all of the time. He loves to run at his opponent,” said the 31-year-old. “But he plays at Chelsea. This could be very expensive for Bayern.”

Here’s a look at how the two Belgian starlets compare this season in league matches:

	Hazard	De Bruyne
Apps (Sub)	29	26
Goals	11	9
Assists	6	16
Shots per Game	2	3
Key Passes per Game	2.8	3.1
Dribbles per Game	4.7	2.9

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Both players are undeniably on the rise and if they aren’t already, they have the potential to go on and become world-class talents. While Hazard looks like he’d be a better fit for the German juggernauts if they’re looking to replace either Robben or Ribery, De Bruyne is definitely a more attainable target for them at this juncture.

As noted by Squawka Football, the Wolfsburg star is one of the most incisive players on the continent:

De Bruyne has endured a flurry of instability in the early stages of his career and it’s no surprise a prolonged spell in a settled position at Wolfsburg has expedited a turnaround in fortunes for him. A move to the Allianz Arena may be enticing, but for the time being he should stay where he is to develop further.

If Bayern or indeed any side are looking at Hazard, they’re going have to spend massive amounts of money. As Chelsea have previously illustrated by the sale of players like De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, they command big money for outgoing players. Given just how talented Hazard is, the Blues’ resolve would surely be even steelier should the German champions come knocking.