Three lessons Real Madrid can learn from Eden Hazard’s signing

Real Madrid, Eden Hazard, Florentino Perez (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)

Real Madrid need to be a bit more rigid while dealing with transfers

When Real Madrid are willing to spend big in the transfer market and go after many players in the transfer market, it does mean that the club is desperate to make signings and bring some fresh faces to the Bernabeu. This generally happens after trophyless seasons, when the club looks for instant solutions to boost their chances of winning silverware in the next season. During such situations, Real Madrid, especially under Florentino Perez, don’t care much about the price tag and don’t wish to make negotiations lengthier. This leads to the club spending a lot on players.

The same happened in the summer of 2019, with Real Madrid spending more than 300 million euros in the transfer market, with around 200 million euros spent on U-23 players alone. Those players were yet to prove themselves on the bigger stage, but the club didn’t hesitate to spend a lot. And the same happened in the case of Eden Hazard as well.

Real Madrid spent 115 million to buy Eden Hazard from Chelsea, as per Transfermarkt. Transfermarkt also suggests that his market value was 150 million euros then, so some might think it was a discounted fee. Eden Hazard was among the top ten footballers in Europe, if not the Top-5, and he had his best individual season in 2018/19, with him registering 21 goals and 17 assists with Chelsea, which further increased the club’s interest in getting him.

Looking at the transfer fee in the current situation, one can only think how big a disaster Hazard’s signing is. No one could’ve predicted that Hazard would flop so badly, so it is wrong to say that Real Madrid shouldn’t have signed Hazard. In 2020, some sources even claimed that Hazard’s transfer fee was around 160 million euros, to rub salt on the wound. But luckily the club was quick to deny those reports.

But there are a few talking points about Hazard’s transfer fee. First of all, Hazard had just a year remaining on his Chelsea contract. Understandably, Real Madrid couldn’t have waited for another year to get him for free and risk the chance of him continuing at Chelsea or moving to another club.

But the club could’ve definitely tried to lower the transfer fee. Instead of spending a base fee of 100 million Euros on the player with just a year left on this contract, the club could’ve played hardball and tried to bring the fee down by a zero. Maybe it was the desperation to make a big signing as quickly as possible and calm the fans down that got the better of the club, but Real Madrid should’ve realised that Chelsea would’ve been forced to sell the Belgian if he wanted a move out.

Another factor we need to consider here is that Eden Hazard was 28 at the time of signing, and he would’ve turned 29 before completing half a season at Madrid. One can think that Hazard was about to enter his prime, but not every player peaks at the age of 28. Maybe it was difficult for the club to realise it back then give their desperation, but one takeaway for Real Madrid here is that the club should think twice before spending big on a player nearing his thirties. And there is also a need for Real Madrid to be more rigid while dealing with transfers, instead of giving in easily to the demands of other clubs.