It is common knowledge now that Eden Hazard will sign for Real Madrid as soon as the two clubs – Chelsea and Real Madrid agree on a price for the Belgian International.
After Chelsea won the Europa League final in Baku, Hazard shed light on his current situation in the post-match celebrations and revealed he has agreed to personal terms with Los Blancos. Here is an excerpt of what he said,
“I have made my decision already and now I’m waiting on both clubs. I think it is a goodbye, but in football, you never know.”
In the 2018/19 season, the Belgian managed 21 goals and 17 assists scoring 20+ goals for the first time in his Chelsea career, something that turned out perfectly as his Real Madrid audition.
What does the future hold for Vinicius Jr?
While Hazard’s signing hangs in balance, its not the only concern for manager Zinedine Zidane and club president Florentino Perez. Hazard plies his trade on the left-wing, the same position as Vinicius Jr. who has been a revelation at Santiago Bernabeu this season.
The Brazilian is only 18 years of age and has shown great promise for the future but he will have to pave the way for Hazard once the deal goes through. It could certainly have a negative effect on the Madrid teenager who has always excelled on the left.
Vinicius came to light under ex-manager Santiago Solari scoring 7 goals and assisting a further 13 in 36 appearances for the club. However, flexibility on a football pitch isn’t his strong suit and it was exposed when Los Blancos went head to head against Leganes in the Copa del Rey last 16 in January.
The Brazilian started in a central role and was abysmal for the entirety of the first half. Solari changed the tactics at half-time shifting Vinicius to the left side and he turned out to be one of the best players on the pitch in the last 45 minutes of the game.
Hazard, on the other hand, is more versatile, predominantly featuring on the left side but can play as a false nine or on the right if the manager demands of him. However, the Belgian’s abilities are exploited to the full extent if he starts on the left. The 28-year-old managed 16 of his 21 goals from the left side of the pitch.
Zidane will have to solve this dilemma at an early stage in the upcoming season to accommodate and help his marquee signing settle. The Frenchman is most likely to sacrifice Vinicius’ minutes to implement his system although there is still a long way to go before the season kicks-off and like Hazard said ‘in football, you never know.’
Stat Courtesy: Transfermarkt, Whoscored