It’s time for another edition of Chelsea FC transfer talk, and this time, we’ll be talking about a pair of players in the attacking third. Club legend Eden Hazard is now a free agent, with an uncertain future. Meanwhile current striker Kai Havertz won’t be renewing his contract and is likely moving on.
It’s a triple shot of Chelsea transfer talk today, with set two over at this link, and set three over at this link. So let’s dive right in to all of that, starting with Havertz, who, according to multiple reports, won’t be re-signing with Chelsea.
And with that, he’s been given the green light to move on, and Arsenal is apparently the destination. According to a report in Sky Sports Germany, personal terms have already been agreed between the two sides. However, a move across London for Havertz could cost as much as £70 million, as that’s the valuation that Chelsea have placed on the 24-year-old.
In an earlier post we covered how Arsenal could be willing to go as high as £60 million for the forward who set the transfer fee record for a German born player when he left Bayer Leverkusen for Chelsea in 2020.
And he could be headed back to the Bundesliga now, as Bayern Munich are said to be keen on Havertz as well. Maybe they bid against Arsenal and thus drive the price up? Chelsea would then get what want?
Moving on, Eden Hazard, who was as accomplished a player as they come when he was at Chelsea, totally flopped at Real Madrid. He’s admitted it himself and even apologized publicly for his poor form/not living up to expectations.
By mutual consent, Hazard and Madrid agreed to part ways a year before his contract expired.
The next move is unclear, and with the Belgian winger having retired from international football, there was naturally speculation that he would follow suit in club football. Hazard dismissed this notion outright however.
“I still feel capable of being a professional footballer, my body can take it,” he said in an interview with Belgium’s RTBF.
“I’ve been resting for two or three years, so I still have a bit of energy!”
Chelsea was his last gig before Madrid, so does the 32-year-old come back to Stamford Bridge? Probably not. More likely he goes overseas to America’s Major League Soccer or the Saudi Pro League (like so many others, including N’Golo Kante, seem to be doing these days)
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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