Eden Hazard looks to have picked up an injury while on international duty with Belgium against France in the UEFA Nations League semi-final. The Real Madrid forward has been diagnosed with a muscular overload and has been sent back to the Spanish capital for further tests and evaluations.
There is a possibility that Hazard could end up missing the Champions League fixture against Shakthar Donetsk and the El Clasico against Barcelona. The 30-year-old is yet to feature in the El Clasico since signing for Los Blancos in 2019.
The former Chelsea winger has now missed 57 games through injuries so far in his Real Madrid career. On the contrary, Hazard’s injury record at Chelsea was as clean as ever – missing just 18 games in seven years at Stamford Bridge.
His dream move to Madrid has turned out to be a nightmare for himself and the club. Real Madrid spent a record €100 million to sign the 30-year-old in 2019, making him the club’s most expensive signing.
Time for Real Madrid to Move On From Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard Has Failed to Live up to Expectations at Real Madrid
Two seasons since making the move, Eden Hazard has just five goals to his name in the white shirt and has failed to live up to the price tag. Despite being on a contract with Los Blancos until 2024, Florentino Perez might consider offloading the Belgian next summer due to his hefty wages.
Since Kylian Mbappe is Real Madrid’s priority signing for the summer transfer window, Hazard could be put on the transfer market to free up the left-wing and reduce the wage bill to accommodate Mbappe’s hefty wages.
It seems like Eden Hazard’s time at the Spanish capital is numbered and even if he manages to turn his situation around, Real Madrid will still consider offloading him to recover whatever they can from their prior investment. The 30-year-old is currently valued at €40 million on the transfer market.
Time for Vinicius Jr to Take Centre-Stage
It’s time for Real Madrid to move on from Eden Hazard and focus on other players such as Vinicius Jr who has shown great potential this season. The Brazilian is currently leading the pecking order to start at the left-wing position over Hazard who has now become a second-choice forward under Carlo Ancelotti.
The 21-year-old has scored five goals and has provided four assists in ten fixtures in all competitions so far this season. Vinicius Jr has nine goals+assists in ten games, making him an indispensable starter in Ancelotti’s line-up. He’s already equalled Hazard’s Real Madrid goal tally in two seasons (five goals) in just ten fixtures.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have also expressed their interest in Kylian Mbappe whose contract expires at the end of the season. Mbappe wanted a move this summer to the Spanish capital before Paris Saint-Germain blocked his transfer and rejected all proposals from the 13-time European champions.
Florentino Perez will look to tie down Kylian Mbappe to a pre-agreement for a transfer at the end of the season in the winter transfer window once he enters the final six months of his contract. The 22-year-old can play anywhere across the front three but tends to operate at his best when played on the left wing. Kylian Mbappe’s arrival could potentially seal Eden Hazard’s departure from the Santiago Bernabeu and the Frenchman could inherit the famous number “7” shirt that currently belongs to Hazard.
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