Why Eden Hazard has to go in order to have a dream summer window

Sometimes, dreams die. As heartbreaking as it is, this perfectly sums up Eden Hazard’s career at Real Madrid. The club signed him in the 2019 summer transfer window for a club-record fee that was upwards of 100 million euros. The galactico signing has been nothing more than an absolute nightmare ever since.

From the looks of it, the Welshman is Carlo Ancelotti’s last choice and would find it perverse to get back into the gaffer’s plans. Having played only 351 minutes in La Liga this season, Eden accounts for one assist and zero goals.

In a pre-game press conference, Ancelotti said, “The problem he has is that there is a coach who prefers other players.”  When the coach refers to himself in the third person, you know it’s serious.

Hazard has played a total of 2865 minutes over 54 games for Los Blancos in the past 2.5 years, having played in 26.5% of total minutes. During that time, he has provided 6 assists and scored 5 goals. If you’ve never let this transfer’s collapse sink into your hearts, this stat should do the job.

He is currently the second-highest earner in the squad, with Gareth Bale taking up the first spot. Both account for a large chunk of Real Madrid’s wage bill, which might be a hindrance when it comes to new arrivals.

While it is very likely that Gareth Bale will leave Real Madrid next season, Hazard’s future is still under a cloud of uncertainty.

Big-name signings are contingent upon Eden Hazard’s situation at Real Madrid

Erling Haaland’s release clause is 75 million euros, while Kylian Mbappe will be a free agent next summer. These numbers are as low as it gets, but transfers aren’t just about transfer fees. Agent commissions, wages, and signing bonuses are all part of the ‘package.’

We all got a glimpse of how stringent La Liga is with their salary caps this summer with Barcelona. After what they did to Lionel Messi, we cannot expect flexibility on their part. Particularly not after the Super League drama.

Real Madrid’s current wage bill is around 450 million euros, with the salary cap being 739 million this season. Regardless of Hazard’s future, signing Mbappe and Haaland shouldn’t be a problem if next season’s cap is anywhere near 700 million. However, it’s better to be safe when you’re dealing with La Liga, particularly after the Super League drama.

Poaching Mbappe along with Haaland is surely Florentino’s priority next season. However, looking at the quality of some free agents that would be available next summer, the club would definitely try to capitalize on that. According to Marca, Rudiger wants 12 million euros in wages. Pogba on the other hand costs Manchester united 18 million euros, and would probably look for similar numbers at his new destination.

According to reports, Real Madrid has finally put Eden Hazard up for sale ahead of Kylian’s arrival.

Obviously, there are a lot of players at Real Madrid that will leave at some point. But the club might actually get something out of Hazard’s transfer. And in this market, the club needs to take everything it gets. Giving away all this money to a guy that doesn’t even play that much is not helping the club in any way.

Eden Hazard also has an undefined role in the starting XI

Hazard mostly played as a left-winger during Zidane’s tenure, where his performances were mostly underwhelming. Ancelotti experimented with Eden during the initial games of the season, trying him out as a left-winger as well as a number 10.

Over the course of the season, Eden has faded out of the starting XI. Vinicius has made the left-wing his own, and the number 10 role doesn’t even seem to exist at Real Madrid.

Even since Real Madrid found the perfect CDM in Casemiro, the number 10 role has become defunct. Why would Real Madrid even need a CAM? Karim Benzema has been doing that job all along. He drops deep, links up well, and creates. All that while being the club’s top scorer, season after season.

What the club has lacked these past couple of seasons, is a goal-scoring winger. A winger that can create, and score. Vinicius has proved to be that player this season. He’s scoring, assisting, creating, doing everything that he’s supposed to do.

Real Madrid has better alternatives, as simple as that. In every position, Ancelotti prefers someone over Hazard. He can still be of great value to another club, a club more suited to his style of play. Hazard needs a new start, and Real Madrid needs fresh blood.