Real Madrid are plotting a swap deal between Gareth Bale and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, it has been claimed.
According to Marca, European champions Real Madrid are pondering the sale of Bale in the summer and the Welshman could be used as a bargaining chip in their pursuit of Hazard.
The Chelsea superstar has been long linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge but does the swap deal make any sense for the Blues?
Why Chelsea should avoid signing Gareth Bale
As things stand right now, Chelsea are likely to be in desperate need of attacking reinforcements in the summer. Ageing wingers, Willian and Pedro haven’t been able to add the necessary bite in attack and have been extremely inconsistent, regularly failing to grab their opportunities to nail down a starting berth. As a result, the team has appeared overly reliant on the services of Hazard, who is the club’s top scorer with 12 goals this season.
And even though the Blues have signed Christian Pulisic, who is due to join the club at the start of next season, the addition of another attacker could be imperative, if we consider the likely departure of Hazard.
However, a swap deal between Bale and the Belgian international might not be the most prudent move from Chelsea’s perspective due to a number of reasons.
Following the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo last summer, it was believed that Bale would finally get his chance to shine at Madrid. But, the Welshman has continued to struggle this season, despite the departure of Zinedine Zidane under whom the former Tottenham player clearly struggled.
On the contrary, Santiago Solari has often preferred the young Vinicius Junior ahead of the former Premier League star, who has also struggled due to recurring injuries. As a matter of fact, Bale has made only two starts since returning from injury in January.
Despite his struggles in Spain, however, Bale is still regarded as one of Europe’s most deadly attackers. But, at the same time, it’s also fair to point out that the winger will turn 30 before the start of next season. Thus, he can’t be considered as a long-term option for Chelsea, who are in dire need of fresh legs in the attack who can serve for a long period of time.
Moreover, Bale is also an injury-prone individual, who has suffered six different types of injuries during his time at the Bernabeu, which, considering his age, certainly doesn’t bode well for the west London giants.
Although Bale’s vast experience in the Premier League coupled with his pace and dynamism could certainly help reinvigorate the Chelsea attack in the short-term, it would be wiser for the Blues to invest on a young individual as they aim to start a new era next season, which Maurizio Sarri will hope is under him.