Eden Hazard has returned to training at the Valdebebas with Real Madrid. The 30-year-old led Belgium to the Qatar 2022 World Cup after an important win over Estonia. Hazard received his first start after weeks and performed well above expectations.
The former Chelsea legend is now back in Madrid with the first team and is working hard to achieve full fitness levels. Despite being somewhat injury-free this season, Eden Hazard has struggled to find his former form and has received limited minutes under Carlo Ancelotti. So far, across all competitions for Real Madrid, Hazard has only featured in a mere 29% of the total minutes available.
His absence from the starting eleven has not been a cause for concern for the club, as Carlo Ancelotti has found the perfect left-winger for the foreseeable future in Vinicius Jr. Since Hazard is no longer of much use to the club, the question arises whether or not he is actually needed at Real Madrid.
According to ABC Deportes, there are three clubs interested in signing Eden Hazard on loan: Chelsea, Newcastle and Juventus. The first two clubs have been linked with Hazard a few weeks ago but Juventus’ latest addition to the list of interested clubs seems quite surprising, to be honest.
Which of the three clubs could Real Madrid offload Eden Hazard to?
Let’s start with Chelsea. The Blues are the reigning champions of Europe after undergoing a mid-season revolution under Thomas Tuchel last season. The former Paris Saint-Germain manager has built a solid team at the Stamford Bridge in a short time. His team has no major flaw or weakness that can be exploited, making them a nightmare to face.
Since Chelsea currently look to be in pretty good form with the squad they have, Eden Hazard’s return is not a necessity for the team. In fact, even if Chelsea actually sign Hazard, it would possibly be on the grounds of a sentimental return for the Chelsea folklore.
With that being said, I don’t really see Chelsea showing a genuine interest in re-signing Hazard but in football, you never know. A return of a legend is always welcome and Hazard could possibly return just like Drogba did for a second time.
Next is Juventus. I’m actually surprised to see Juventus on this list since Eden Hazard is certainly not a player that they need. Juventus desperately require a major squad overhaul and signing Hazard on loan would be a step in the opposite direction.
Even if Juventus are genuinely interested in the Belgian, I doubt they could afford a 30-year-old with an extensive injury record and massive wages whilst currently facing several financial struggles. The 30-year-old would not even fit in Massimiliano Allegri’s system, since the Italian demands a high work rate from his forwards, something Hazard cannot offer.
That leaves us with one last team, Newcastle United. In my opinion, the Magpies could possibly be Real Madrid’s best shot at offloading Eden Hazard.
Newcastle United have new owners following the Saudi public investment takeover. They will be looking for a new marque player to kickstart their era and Eden Hazard could be the perfect signing for them due to his popularity in England.
Not only would they easily afford Hazard and his wages, but the Belgian could also possibly rediscover his form in the league where he dazzled the world with his nimble feet. If Hazard does perform well in his loan spell, Real Madrid would certainly consider offering Newcastle the option of purchasing the Belgian permanently, something that all parties should be fine with.