We’re still waiting on confirmation of the widely reported £88 million deal that would send Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid to Juventus. If and when it happens, a series of transfer dominoes will fall. The ripple effects in the transfer market will be seismic, with Madrid seeking a big name, big money replacement.
Chelsea forward Eden Hazard has been consistently linked with a move to over the past few years, so much that it has become one of the more tedious transfer narrative going these days.
The Guardian writes that Real Madrid President Florentino Perez has identified the 27-year-old Belgian as Ronaldo’s replacement and “supposedly reserved the No 7 shirt and a parking spot by the same number at the club’s Ciudad training complex for the Belgium forward.”
Sky Sports, citing AS, has a different spin on it, claiming that Hazard is the current three time European champions’ plan C, behind Neymar or Kylian Mbappe. The publication adds that “Madrid fear lengthy negotiations and PSG’s reluctance to sell their two main assets may force them to look elsewhere.”
About three weeks ago, on the eve of Belgium’s World Cup campaign, Hazard gave some measure of clarity about his own club future. In doing so, he gave a very obvious green light to Real Madrid to come get him.
And two weeks ago, we learned that Real Madrid were encouraged to make a move for him way back on the eve of the UEFA Champions League final versus Liverpool.
Contract extension talks between Chelsea and Hazard’s representation broke down, and the Belgian’s deal expires in 2020.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, is currently a regular contributor to SB Nation, WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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