3 possible Eden Hazard swap deals for Real Madrid

Hakim Ziyech

It’s no secret when it comes to Eden Hazard that there are two main destinations he would consider going to if he were to leave LaLiga: Lille and Chelsea.

The latter is where he became a Chelsea legend and really grew into himself as a player and leader on the field. And although Chelsea doesn’t necessarily need Hazard anymore after recently winning the Champions League, they would most definitely welcome him back with open arms considering the history that’s attached to him.

The real question that arose from a potential swap deal with Chelsea is who from their squad who be a realistic target to come the other way to Madrid. Ideally, it’d be N’Golo Kanté, but that’s a pipe dream.

A realistic and useful target beyond the Frenchman could come in the form of teammate Hakim Ziyech.

The Morocco international, like Hazard, is someone who hasn’t necessarily had the best of starts to life in London since arriving from Ajax, but his talent is undeniable.

The 29-year-old has a monster of a left-foot and can play in multiple positions across the midfield and frontline (right-wing, attacking midfielder, central midfielder).

This season he’s only taken part in 13 matches (1 team of the week nod), scoring 3 goals and two assists.

Although it’s a small sample size, Ziyech is still influential when he does get the chance to grace the field. If you watched him during his spell at Ajax, then (Madrid fans) you know all too well that Ziyech can stamp his print in both the league and European matches.

Despite his defending not being his strongest attribute, he does have the ability to track back for his right-backs when they press forward and win his fair share of tackles in transition.

He can score from anywhere inside and outside of the box (as the video above shows) and is more efficient compared to the likes of Asensio when it comes to getting shots off on target.

Ziyech puts on a show any time he gets the ball at his feet with quick, tight dribbling movement that helps him glide past defenders or with a useful stutter step, he usually finds a pathway towards goal (48% successful dribbles).

The former Ajax man can usually be found on Youtube making some ridiculous long-through balls to his teammates in scoring positions or down the flank to create space. His passes almost whip around defenders to get to teammates in a way that no one (right-winger) currently at Madrid has the ability to do (5 big chances created, 1.3 key passes per game, 78% accurate passes per game).

And more importantly, he’s confident with the ball. The one thing Madrid has lacked on the right since Bale, in his prime, is having a confident player that wants to create chances for himself and teammates and does not let missed chances affect how much energy he brings to each minute of the match.

Why and How This Could Work

Real Madrid’s issues aren’t depth, but more so quality of the depth, specifically when it concerns the front line. Hakim Ziyech fills that void as a player who can play multiple positions and really bring the game to defenders on the right side, while also providing a better left-foot shot and cross from the right compared to Rodrygo or Asensio.

Likewise, Hazard would be able to go home to Chelsea and succeed in a title-contending side that always utilizes their wingers in some capacity.

For this swap deal to go through it’d probably take an extra €15-20 mil euros from Madrid, but considering this is a relatively even deal it could be possible that Chelsea does a straight swap for their former legend.

Estimated Value: €35 mil euros

Potential swap including Hazard: Hazard and €15 mil for Ziyech/ straight swap

Alternatives to also look at: Rayan Cherki (Lyon),  Dominik Szoboszlai (RB Leipzig)