According to reports in Spanish media publication Don Balon, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard could finally make his long-mooted big-money move to Real Madrid this summer. Both the English and Spanish press is reporting a prospective fee of between £150-200million.

The 27-year-old Belgium forward has long been linked with a move to the Spanish capital. However, it seems that he may well be closer to joining Los Blancos than ever before.

Hazard want a Ronaldo Replacement

Real Madrid fans will no doubt be disappointed with the exit of star player Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus. However, the 33-year-old’s sale has netted the Spanish giants a reported £92million.

Madridistas will undoubtedly expect a big-name replacement for Ronaldo. The Spanish club does not usually disappoint their fans when it comes to big-name signings. Hazard looks like he could be a worthy replacement for Ronaldo, who in reality is irreplaceable by one player.

Playing in La Liga can elevate Hazard

Eden Hazard has been as a top player for much of his time at Chelsea after developing a reputation as a bright young player at French club Lille. At 27-years-old, the forward is starting to reach his peak.

Playing in La Liga can help aid his profile in the world game. He is not yet considered to be on the same level as Ronaldo or Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. The forward may never be at their level, but moving to Spain can help elevate Hazard’s game and profile in the process. A move to La Liga turned Ronaldo into a superstar.

He was already a big star at Manchester United. However, it was the move to the Spanish capital that turned the Portuguese star into one of the best players in the world. The fact that Hazard is likely to receive more protection from officials in La Liga than he gets in the Premier League could also be a factor in moving to the Spanish capital.

The move looks highly likely

Real Madrid are favourites to sign Eden Hazard this summer. In fact, the forward is shorter odds to join the Spanish before the transfer window shuts than he is to stay at Chelsea.

Hazard has recently talked about his future, stating that he may be needed to ‘discover something new’ this summer. However, he also stated that any final decision on his future would be down to Chelsea. The Blues are unlikely to be encouraging interest from elsewhere in the forward. Nevertheless, they will be aware that the forward is a valuable financial asset, who has just two years left on his deal with them.

If Chelsea are going to sell the forward, they must do it this summer, as next summer he will entering the final year of his Blues deal, which means that he may leave for a far smaller fee. Looking from the outside in, it seems as if this move is likely to happen. Real Madrid wants it, Los Blancos is Hazard’s preferred destination, so it would just be down to whether Chelsea is willing to sell.

Only time will tell if the move happens. However, I do believe that a move to Real Madrid could be a massive boost for the forward’s career and elevate him to the next level.

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