3 players Real Madrid could have signed instead of Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard recently turned 31, but unfortunately, in the last three and a half years, he has had little good to look back and reflect upon at Real Madrid.

The Belgian joined for over 100 million euros back in 2019 but has failed to create the desired impact since landing from Chelsea. Hazard has faced an excruciating run of injuries which have only come to an end earlier in the ongoing campaign, but his position has become weaker of sorts with Vinicius Junior’s emergence now keeping him out of the starting eleven.

He does not seem to be a very confident player anymore despite putting his fitness issues behind him and his acts of the past have kept him far away from being a fan favourite, too. Arriving overweight and unfit for his first pre-season in Madrid to laughing with his former teammates after a Champions League elimination have only weakened his stock.

And although many have tipped this to be a breakthrough season for him, it has so far not been the case albeit the signs in recent months have been positive and encouraging. On that note, here is a look at the three alternatives Real Madrid could have signed instead of Hazard during the summer transfer window of the 2019 calendar year, following a season worth forgetting.

KYLIAN MBAPPE

For a reasonable amount of time now, Kylian Mbappe’s transfer to Real Madrid has been a question of when and not if. The French international has been linked with a move to the Spanish capital since his Monaco days, but he ultimately opted to use Paris Saint-Germain as a stepping stone to Real Madrid as opposed to joining the Merengues straight away in a high-pressure move.

Last summer’s fiasco of PSG refusing to sell Mbappe needs no introduction, but the case could have been a lot different if the player had pushed to leave the club in 2019. Due to them not coming as close to winning the Champions League back then as they have come in recent times, the youngster’s operation may have been a lot easier to execute two and a half years back.

Also, the lack of Super League fiasco could have helped Real Madrid’s cause, because right now it was pretty clear that PSG’s relationship with the Whites had been broken since the happenings of the April 2021 wreck involving the Super League. That ensured PSG were also FIFA and UEFA’s pet and immune to any Financial Fair Play restrictions, as they have always been, somehow.

Had Madrid not signed Hazard, Mbappe is the obvious alternative who could have bridged the gap between Madrid and a 14th Champions League title already. As it is, Gareth Bale has been struggling for a few years now so the World Cup winner may have even had the chance to play on the right wing, his regulation position, whereas Vinicius Junior could have been on the left.