Could Real Madrid include Eden Hazard in a Kylian Mbappe deal?

Real Madrid will find it much easier to acquire Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, but PSG forward Kylian Mbappe should still be at the top of Los Blancos’ summer transfer wishlist until it is guaranteed that he will not be available. With Mbappe still making time to come to an official decision on his future, there is hope Real will be able to sign their long-time dream target.

If Real Madrid go after Mbappe this summer, they will have to be clever in their approach. Gareth Bale’s recent, incredible form with Tottenham could clear the wage stumbling block in the Mbappe case, because Bale’s high wages could be off the books if he continues to play at this level and convince Spurs to keep him around.

But the overall price will be the bigger issue for Los Blancos. Mbappe will reportedly set Madrid back 200 million euros. Even if Real can negotiate that price down to 180 million euros if Mbappe is adamant about joining the Royal White club, that price tag is still quite high and may necessitate a major sale or trade to facilitate such a Galactic move.

We’ve heard about how Vinicius Junior can be used as a makeweight for Mbappe, and there’s a part of this that makes sense. PSG would likely covet Vinicius and want a talented young player like Vini or Rodrygo at wide forward to help make up for the loss of Mbappe. Additionally, Real have Eden Hazard, Rodrygo, and Vini already on the left-hand side, which is Mbappe’s best and preferred position. Therefore, Real would have to clear out space for Mbappe anyway and couldn’t hoard so much talent at one position, even considering that Rodrygo could move to the right.

Would Real Madrid prefer to part ways with Eden Hazard over Vinicius Junior?

But what about Hazard? Couldn’t he be more expendable to Real Madrid than Vinicius? He’s older, prone to injury, and has been less productive than Vini due to these injuries. Few would argue that Vini is better right now or more accomplished than Hazard, but many Madridistas would argue that they’d prefer the 20-year-old over the long-term.

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The issue is, would PSG value Hazard? He is a big name and capable of playing at an elite level. The former Lille superstar has plenty of Ligue 1 experience, in case that helps matters. But being a big name only counts for so much.

Past success matters less to teams on the transfer market than future projection. And due to the injuries and overall lack of production over the past two seasons in Real Madrid – despite a few highlights when healthy – Hazard’s future projection may not be as high to PSG either.

Maybe PSG would be open to rolling the dice on such a dynamic player, who, at his best, could add a lot of playmaking to a PSG attack that has goal-scoring options like Mauro Icardi and maybe even Moise Kean beyond 2020-2021.

However, 30-year-old wingers suffering from multiple injuries are rarely in high demand, as Los Blancos have already witnessed with the Gareth Bale case. (Then again, Real, in an act of persuasion, could point to Bale’s recent success as a reason for PSG to take the plunge.)

Hazard being included in an Mbappe deal is an idea worth discussing and thinking about. If it can bring the price down, Real Madrid may want to consider it. Because even though they may believe in Hazard and Vinicius, they may have to logistically part ways with one of them to make the dream Mbappe move happen. When it comes down to it, the decision may be up to PSG, who hold the high hand with Mbappe.

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But for us as fans, it’s a fun exercise, and it seems like many Madridistas would prefer to go with the youth, knowing that Mbappe is already a sure-fire, every-game starter in his own right. Cynically, they may add that Hazard, meanwhile, *could* be that kind of player for Madrid but, in actuality, is not.

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