Why Eden Hazard Should Be PSG's No. 1 Summer Transfer Target
It was a moment of triumph for Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday. No one had any doubt that they would lift their fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title, but the 9-0 victory over Troyes on Sunday was an emphatic way to seal the championship.
However, after the game, four-goal hero, Zlatan Ibrahimovic poured a bit of cold water on the celebrations, giving the biggest hint so far that he will not remain at the club beyond the end of his contract.
The Swede told beIN Sports (h/t ESPN FC) that, "for the moment," he will not be at PSG next season.
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"I have always had a good relationship with the fans," he said. "With the club, they always took care of me. I have always had great relationship with everybody, no question about it. But, for the moment, I am not at PSG next year.
"I have one-and-a-half months to stay here. I will enjoy it while I'm still here. What happens next year, I don't know—but for the moment, I will not be here."
His four second-half goals lifted his tally to 27 for the season, leaving him only three short of his best-ever return and four behind toppling Jean-Pierre Papin’s 30-goal total, something that was believed he would better when he first arrived in Paris.
With eight games to go, it is unthinkable that the Swedish forward won’t go on to surpass that number, hammering home the point that he will leave a huge void at the club if he leaves. Yet, he did give the PSG fans one glimmer of hope.
"I don't believe they can change the Eiffel Tower for my statue, even the people behind the club. But if they can, I will stay here—I promise you."
There was little doubt that PSG would have already been targeting a huge transfer this summer, but Ibrahimovic’s departure puts even more importance on who comes in. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar have already been mentioned, but for the club’s future, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard should be the No.1 transfer target for next season.
Even before he joined Chelsea, Hazard was continually linked with a move to the French capital from Lille, and the rumours have never been far away.
Before the two clubs did battle in the Champions League, the Belgian winger spoke to Le Parisien and was asked about the interest from the Ligue 1 champions.
"It is difficult to say no to PSG, or to any of the teams capable of winning the Champions League,” the 25-year-old told the French daily newspaper (h/t Sky Sports). "PSG are now in that category. And for me, winning the Champions League is my main aim."
During the interview, Hazard tried to backtrack on his comments, talking about his contract that runs until 2020. The timing of the interview was only due to the Champions League clash, and the question was put to the forward, but when in the past he has said that Lille was the only French club he would ever play for, this was a distinct change of direction.
Asked about his future, he added: "I do not know, because there is always uncertainty in football. If we stick to the contract, I'll still be at Chelsea next season.
"Even if things are complicated this season, I am at Chelsea. I'm in a good group that can win trophies every season. For the moment, I'm not really thinking about [a move]."
It has been a difficult season for Hazard at Stamford Bridge. He has yet to score a goal in the league, and he has only contributed three assists—a stark contrast to the form that won him the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award at the end of Chelsea’s title-winning season.
The time is right for PSG to swoop for the winger. When Hazard is in the mood, he can be one of the most devastating attacking players in Europe. He has the ability to skip past defenders with ease, get his head up and slip killer passes or find the back of the net.
No one can replace Ibrahimovic, but the addition of Hazard would usher in a new era in Paris, and it could help the development of the club and bring more out of their misfiring forward, Edinson Cavani.
Hazard would take up his place on the left wing, a position that Cavani has had to play more often than he would like. It would bring more balance to the attack and allow the Uruguayan forward to regularly play the No. 9 position that he craves.
Although he misses more chances than you would like, a confident and energised Hazard could provide more creativity and danger in the PSG attack while hopefully giving Cavani the chance to prove himself in the Parisian front line.
Although signing someone like Ronaldo would be a headline-grabbing move, the Portuguese forward is now 31 years old. While there is no doubt he would help PSG dominate the French league, there’s no guarantee he will help them move to the next level of the Champions League.
With Hazard six years Ronaldo’s junior, it makes more sense in a long-term point of view to bring in the 25-year-old and build the attack around him and Angel Di Maria. Give Cavani another year in the attack, and then look to replace him in 12 months’ time.
When he was at Lille, Hazard won the league and cup double in 2011, helping the club to their first title in 57 years. He racked up seven goals and 10 assists as Les Dogues finished above Marseille, Bordeaux and PSG, but it was in his last season when he fully blossomed.
Lille may have finished third, with Montpellier pipping PSG to their first title of the Qatar Sports Investment era, but the Belgian had his hand in 35 of Lille’s 59 goals that campaign, scoring 20 in 35 games.
That is the player that Chelsea are hoping can rediscover his form in the Premier League, and that would be the player that PSG would hope to bring to the Parc des Princes. The Parisians love a player that can dazzle and delight, but when he is in the right mood, Hazard has that distinct direct style that also brings an end product.
It is unlikely he would require the same level of outlay as players like Neymar and Ronaldo, allowing PSG to strengthen further, rather than putting all of their eggs in one basket. Signing a player that naturally plays on the left, but can drift around the final third, finding space and linking with Cavani, Di Maria and Lucas Moura, would be the perfect fit for next season.
It's not just the goals from Ibrahimovic that the French champions will miss if he leaves this summer, but when he is firing on all cylinders, the Swede is one of their biggest creative forces. Hazard replaces that with ease and would bring a new dimension to the attack.
It is an almost impossible task to replace the mercurial Ibrahimovic, but adding Hazard to the squad would be a wonderful way to help PSG move on and continue their climb towards Champions League domination.
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