Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest Rumours on £200M Eden Hazard Bid
August 12, 2018
Real Madrid reportedly remain determined to land Eden Hazard before the close of the Spanish transfer window at the end of August.
The Spanish giants want Hazard to replace Cristiano Ronaldo and are willing to meet Chelsea's £200 million price tag, according to Neil Fissler and Lloyd Johnson at the Sunday Express.
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri believes the Blues will "resist any offers" for their talisman. Real Madrid's "top brass" are due to meet this week to discuss making one last attempt to sign Hazard, per the report.
Real Madrid have already signed one of Chelsea's key players this summer after bringing in goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
The Belgium international has said he would like to play with Hazard at the Santiago Bernabeu, per the Press Association (via the Guardian).
"He's a wonderful player," he said. "I'd love to play alongside him again and we'll have to see what happens in the future. If he ends up here one day that would be brilliant."
Sarri has said it would be "impossible" for Hazard to leave Chelsea now, as shown by Sky Sports News:
The Premier League's transfer window has already closed. Although Chelsea can still sell players, they would be unable to bring in any replacements. Hazard is one of the Blues' most important stars, which makes it highly unlikely Chelsea would countenance a sale.
Squawka Football highlighted how important he is to the Blues:
Journalist Kristof Terreur noted some more reasons while a deal looks unlikely:
Kristof Terreur 📰 @HLNinEngelandAre they? ✔️Real Madrid know that Chelsea weren’t open for negotiations all summer ✔️Real didn’t want to overspend ✔️Real know that Hazard didn’t want to push for a move ✔️ Why would a club sell a player when they can’t sign a replacement? I would be suprised. #cfc https://t.co/VXzwRHWIVU
Replacing Ronaldo at Real Madrid looks a virtually impossible task. However, Hazard's skill on the ball, creativity and ability to contribute goals make him an attractive target for Los Blancos.
Chelsea will want to do all they can to keep hold of Hazard. The club are ready to offer him a new deal worth £300,000 a week to keep him at Stamford Bridge, per Paul Rowan of the Sunday Times.
Hazard's deal expires in 2020, and his reluctance to sign a new contract may encourage Real Madrid that he can be prised away from Stamford Bridge. A deal this summer will be difficult to pull off, but it's possible Real Madrid may return for the Belgian next year.