Antonio Conte’s Chelsea may not be able to retain their league title but they might have bigger problems on their hand this year. They have one of the most exciting squads in the country but one player that the team revolves around is Eden Hazard.
The Belgian international is easily one of the best players in the game at the moment and has been in fine form for Chelsea this season. He joined the club back in 2012 and has slowly gone on to become a star player, winning a number of trophies.
However, his stint at Stamford Bridge might be coming to an end as reports now claim that he is on his way out of the club, come the end of the season.
Real Madrid Seal Hazard Deal:
According to French radio station RMC, the Champions of Europe have finally won their battle to land the Belgian playmaker and have agreed on a deal with him for a move in the summer. Hazard’s contract at Chelsea does not run down till 2020 but he has been hesitant in penning a new one. He also recently spoke about Zinedine Zidane being his idol and it should not be a surprise if this deal goes through this summer.
How Big A Blow For Chelsea?
He has won two league titles, a league cup title and the Europa League in his time in London, while being named the Premier League player of the season for the 2014-15 season. He has been in every PFA Team of the Year except one, since his move to the club and is almost irreplaceable.
He is a genuine match winner and was an important part of both the title-winning sides at Chelsea. He has the spark that can make things happen in the final third and over the years, he has come up with the goods when the Blues seemed down and out in tough games. He is a naturally gifted footballer, who gives nightmares to even the best of the defenders and the Premier League should be thankful for his services to date.
The European status Chelsea have established in the last couple of years is a real testament to Hazard’s ability and players are like him are not easily available. He is still 26 but already has over 340 top-flight appearances in Europe and 46 UCL appearances to add to his 82 appearances for Belgium. He is also the skipper of the national side and is amongst the top-5 players in Europe.
Can he be replaced?
Entirely? No.
The footballing IQ of such quality is hard to come by and Chelsea will struggle to replace him in the long run. He will fetch a record sum when sold but even the best of the stars out there will not be able to completely replace the former Lille man.
He is the right balance of aggression, skill and intelligent football and it is a combination not easily found in the market. Chelsea’s scouting team will always be proud of snapping him up at a young age but if he does move to the Spanish capital, they might lose a part of their European status straight away.
So if these reports are true, they will have to start working on replacements already, to soften the blow in the summer.
