As reported by Sky Sports, Eden Hazard looked set to join Real Madrid for an astronomical fee. As reported by talkSPORT, that deal went through, and the Belgian is set to be paid handsomely for making his way over to the Bernabeu. Is he happy about this? Well, to be honest, it’s hard to argue otherwise – if not impossible.
Eden had been teasing the idea of making the jump over to Spanish football for longer than we care to remember, and the majority of Chelsea fans will be able to back up that claim. He’s been waiting, longing almost, to make an impact in La Liga, and now he’ll finally get his chance.
History tells us that Premier League stars going over to Spain aren’t always successful, but one thing is for sure: the intensity is very different. The English game is often played at an incredibly high pace, whereas the Spanish game tends to be a little bit slower (in our not so humble opinion). If Hazard is able to find space and exploit what we’re talking about here, then he could find himself quickly becoming one of the most exciting players in European football.
On the rise
Oh, wait, he already is.
Hazard is expected to fill the boots of Cristiano Ronaldo, who left last season to join Juventus. He will be the club’s new talisman, with many folks already regarding him as one of the top five players in the world today. Some may consider that to be an over exaggeration, but let’s just wait and see how he gets on in the first few weeks, months and potentially even years of his journey with Real Madrid.
The Belgian didn’t really cover himself in glory when it comes to the manner in which he left Chelsea Football Club, and that’s probably not going to be a universal thought process (which is fine). Even with that being the case, though, it’s hard to deny that he’s on a path back to the top of the game. Zinedine Zidane knew that Hazard was his number one man, and the fact that he went out there and got him is a huge statement.
One of the greats
“Often, a dribble brings more joy than a goal,” Hazard once said. “That’s when the people stand up to applaud. It’s part of my reflex. People want the show, they pay for it. You’re an actor. So let’s bring them pleasure. When I start a match, I tell myself I have to dribble. Today isn’t the day to score, it’s the day to dribble. This is my main quality.”
If he’s coming out with quotes like that then you can only imagine what sort of Eric Cantona-esque dialogue he’s going to be bringing to the table within a few short months.
In all seriousness we’re happy to see Hazard get this opportunity, and we just hope he doesn’t squander it. He now has the entire summer to embed himself into this new role of his, and we’re intrigued to see how he handles the pressure of the situation.