Real Madrid set to reveal Eden Hazard signing from Chelsea on Monday
Oliver Kay, Gary Jacob, James Gheerbrant
May 30 2019, 12:00pm, The Times
Real Madrid are planning to announce the signing of Eden Hazard on Monday after growing confident that they have reached agreement with Chelsea to sign the attacking player.
The transfer fee is unknown but Chelsea have been holding out for as much as £130 million for a player who has one year left on his contract. Madrid hoped to pay around £90 million. Reports in Spain suggest that he has been offered a contract worth £400,000 a week after tax.
Hazard is scheduled to meet up with the Belgium squad on Tuesday for their Euro 2020 qualifier against Kazakhstan a week on Saturday and Scotland three days later. His arrival will put more pressure on Gareth Bale to leave with Madrid indicating he has no future at the club.
Hazard scored twice in Chelsea’s comprehensive victory over Arsenal in Baku, securing the 16th major trophy in as many years under Roman Abramovich’s ownership. Hazard said afterwards that he believed it was his final appearance for the club, while Maurizio Sarri, the head coach, admitted that his own future needed to be resolved as a matter of urgency.
In a post-match interview with BT Sport, Hazard said: “I think it’s a goodbye, but in football you never know. My dream was to play in the Premier League. I did this for seven years in one of the biggest clubs in the world, so now maybe it’s time for a new challenge.
“I have made my decision already. Now it is dependent on the clubs. We will know in the coming days. I’m still waiting, like you are waiting, like the fans are waiting.
“This is the perfect end. I want to say to the fans that I love them, that they are part of my family and I will always support Chelsea. If it’s a goodbye, thank you for these seven years.”
Hazard’s long-term desire to join Real has been widely known, with the Spanish club’s president Florentino Pérez saying this week that he “dreams” of signing the 28-year-old. Chelsea will demand a transfer fee in excess of £100 million, but their stance may be weakened by the fact that Hazard would otherwise be available on a free transfer next summer, having rejected the club’s offers to extend his contract, which expires at the end of next season.
Hazard’s departure will leave a large void at Chelsea but David Luiz insisted Callum Hudson-Odoi can step up and fill that space after the Belgian suggested that his man-of-the-match display in the Europa League final against Arsenal was his final appearance for the club.
Hazard told BT Sport: “I think it’s goodbye, maybe time for a new challenge,” and is widely expected to join Real Madrid in the coming days.
read the rest here:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/...zard-signing-from-chelsea-on-monday-0prpx9qv2