No new club for Eden
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out the sale of Eden Hazard this summer, claiming that he and the player have decided that his future remains in the Spanish capital next season. “His plan is quite clear: he is staying and he is doing so with a lot of motivation because he has had a tough time in these last years,” said the Italian manager in a press conference on Friday. “He wants to show his quality.”
Hazard was once considered one of the best players in the world due to his success as a Chelsea winger, where he bagged no less than 110 goals and 92 assists in just 352 games for the Premier League side. However, since making a £103.5 million move to Madrid in 2019 the Belgium international has been severely limited in game time due to successive injuries.
Over the past three seasons in La Liga, Hazard has only managed 65 appearances for Los Blancos and a rather poor return of six goals and 10 assists in those games. In stark contrast, his injury list has been quite extensive, with the forward missing no less than 74 games through injury. But, despite that, Ancelotti still has faith that the player will play a role for his side next season.
When asked at the press conference if Hazard will pick up more game time in this team next season, Ancelotti said: “I think so. There are a lot of games, there is tiredness, there will be rotations even if this season there haven’t been as many. Everyone can have their chances. A starting place at a big club is difficult for everyone, not just the players who play less. I continue to be of the opinion that the quantity of minutes is not as important as the quality. This year we have the clear example of Rodrygo, who hasn’t played many minutes but has played quality minutes and has made the difference.”
High wages and a long contract – Madrid are stuck with Hazard
While Ancelotti seemed more than happy to brush off any suggestions of Hazard leaving the club this summer, much of that will be due to the fact that neither the player nor the club itself have much of a say in the matter. Even if both parties did want to part ways ahead of the new season, it would likely prove far too difficult.
As well as likely being one of the highest paid players in European football, Hazard also still has a contract at Madrid that is set to run until 2024. And that means that any club that may have been interested in the Belgium international would have to match his obscene salary in the Spanish capital and likely pay off what he is still owed by Madrid. And that’s far too much money to pay for a player that has struggled to stay fit for the past three seasons.
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