According to the latest reports, Premier League club Chelsea are in a tough spot as they will have to fend off competition from La Liga giants Real Madrid who are in the pursuit of Eden Hazard in the summer transfer window. The Blues are also set to suffer a transfer ban which means that they cannot sign any players in the summer transfer even if they want to replace the Belgian winger.
When Maurizio Sarri took over as Chelsea manager in the summer of 2018, he replaced fellow Italian compatriot Antonio Conte. The ex-Napoli master tactician initially received plenty of praise and plaudits from many fans and pundits across the globe when he brought in an attractive and effective brand of football into the Premier League. The West London outfit was also in the hunt for the Premier League title at the start of the season after an impressive run of displays early on. Chelsea made it past their Europa League group stage unscathed as well and reached the Round of 16 in the competition. The Blues reached the League Cup final but lost out to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in a penalty shootout.
However, over the past few months, Chelsea has slipped up in the League and is now in sixth place in the hunt for a Champions League spot for next season. Even humiliating losses in the Premier League to Bournemouth and Manchester City dented Chelsea’s hopes of a top-four finish. Chelsea also got dumped out of the FA Cup against fierce rivals Manchester United which put Sarri’s job in jeopardy. However, it is crucial for the Blues to get into to top four because of their superstar Eden Hazard who could leave the club if they don’t qualify for the elite competition.
It’s no secret that Hazard is on Real Madrid’s top transfer list and the Los Blancos are desperate to sign the talismanic winger. Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, Real Madrid is looking to fill in the void left by the 34-year-old Portuguese ace. Most recently, Zinedine Zidane was renamed as head coach for the Champions League holders and the Frenchman has also stated his admiration for Hazard.
Reports last summer claimed that Hazard is desperate to work under Zidane but because the manager left, Hazard decided to remain at Stamford Bridge. With Real Madrid struggling without a real iconic big-name figure in attack, Chelsea’s hitman Eden Hazard could be on his way to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer transfer window. Hazard is still Chelsea’s go-to man with 16 goals this season and 11 more assists to his name this term.
What’s worse for Chelsea is that FIFA has imposed a two-year transfer ban on the club which means that the Blues cannot purchase players for the next two seasons. Players may leave Chelsea and after two years there can be a rebuilding process. But for now, if Hazard leaves Chelsea will be in a big problem and cannot replace the 28-year-old superstar for at least two years. Even the younger Chelsea stars could decide to leave if they don’t find the club is moving in a forward direction.
