Chelsea star Eden Hazard is set to
finalise his move to Real Madrid in the ‘coming days’ after Zinedine Zidane
approved the transfer.
The 28-year-old wanted to move to the
Bernabeu last summer following Belgium’s third place finish at Euro 2018 but
Maurizio Sarri convinced him to stay at Stamford Bridge for one more season.
However, the winger has less than 15
months to run on his existing deal in west London and has intimated he does not
want to sign an extension, despite Chelsea offering him around £300,000-a-week.
Hazard has made no secret of his
admiration for Zidane in the past and the Frenchman’s return to Madrid appears
to have swung the winger’s mind in favour of the La Liga giants.
According to Marca, Chelsea and
Madrid are now close to agreeing the terms of Hazard’s departure and agreement
is expected to be finalised in the ‘coming days’. Chelsea slapped a £100million
price tag on Hazard last summer and it’s likely they’ve demanded a similar fee
this time around, despite Hazard’s contract having just one year remaining.
Asked about Hazard on Friday, Zidane
refused to rule out a move. ‘I will not give my personal opinion about what may
happen because the season has not ended, but I’ve always appreciated him,’ said
Zidane. ‘I’ve seen him a lot since I was playing in France. He’s fantastic.
The Blues have appealed a two-window
transfer ban but Christian Pulisic was signed in January and is likely to serve
as Hazard’s replacement. The Belgian’s departure could convince Callum
Hudson-Odoi to stay at the club, given his playing time is likely to increase.
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