Real Madrid make final push to sign €120m Hazard

The Spanish giants are keen to have the Belgian put pen to paper sooner rather than later
Real Madrid are sending a representative to London to meet with Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia as Los Blancos commit to a final push to get a transfer deal for Eden Hazard over the line, Goal understands.

Negotiations over the Belgian’s future at the Santiago Bernabeu have been going on for months but the Spanish capital side are now keener than ever to wrap up proceedings, as they hope to make an official announcement this week after agreeing upon a fee.

Chelsea’s ideal scenario would see Hazard snapped up for €130 million (£115m/$146m), while Madrid hope to pay closer to €100m (£89m/$112m), but there is a firm expectation that a deal will inevitably be done.
Indeed, some close to the ongoing talks feel that an agreement could be reached at around €120m (£106m/$135m) to end the protracted saga.

Hazard has long wanted the move and admitted in an interview that he is likely to leave in the summer after scoring twice in a 4-1 Europa League final win over Arsenal.

“I have made my decision already and now I’m waiting on both clubs,” the attacker said in Baku Olympic Stadium on Wednesday. “I think it is goodbye, but in football, you never know.”

The west London side have been under pressure to sell Hazard due to his contract expiring in June 2020, with the player having rejected offers to renew and become the club’s highest paid name several times in the past year or so.

This has helped the Belgium captain to negotiate his exit as the Blues look to bring in a significant fee for their talisman.

Hazard is also keen on linking up with Zinedine Zidane, who returned to Madrid after both Santiago Solari and Julen Lopetegui were dismissed from the dugout last season.



Both clubs are also working on the timing of the deal, with Madrid wanting the announcement to make maximum impact.

Meanwhile, Chelsea look to negotiate for Mateo Kovacic and will see Maurizio Sarri leave the club for Juventus. Madrid tried to include Kovacic, their loan star at Stamford Bridge, in the talks but Chelsea refused and wanted to do the deal separately.

The ending of the loan puts additional pressure on the Blues, who are able to sign the Croatia international permanently despite the transfer ban but need to do so before the end of their current deal.
It is no longer a secret at either club that Hazard is set to move and is widely spoken about in both dressing rooms. Real captain Sergio Ramos gave his blessing over Los Blancos’ incoming big move after announcing he is staying at Santiago Bernabeu, amid speculation that he would leave.

“I consider Eden Hazard to be a really, really top player,” the Madrid captain said.

Hazard’s friend and international team-mate Thibaut Courtois will be helpful for his compatriot in the early days of the move as he bids to get by without speaking Spanish. Courtois is fluent in Spanish, English and French, which should come in useful in training sessions.

Source:Goal.com