Is Eden Hazard's Real Madrid career now over?
Martin Macdonald
- Updated: 26 Mar 2022 08:42 GMT
- 3 min read
Eden Hazard might have played his last game for Real Madrid after the club confirmed that their winger will undergo ankle surgery this week.
In a short statement released on their official website, Madrid explained:
"In the coming days, our player, Eden Hazard, will undergo surgery to remove the osteosynthesis plate in his right fibula."
The recovery period for such a surgery can range depending on the patient, but with only six weeks or so remaining in the current campaign, the Belgian faces a race against time to return before the summer.
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And, not only does he face that race against time, he must face the fact that if he doesn't return in the 2021/22 season, he might not don the famous white shirt of Real Madrid again.
That is because Hazard has been a disaster since his record €100 million transfer from Chelsea in 2019 and is widely expected to be moved on at the conclusion of the current campaign.
He has a shocking injury record since moving, making just 28 starts in La Liga in almost three years.
Hazard has scored just six goals in all competitions, too, and when you consider that Madrid could end up paying as much as €140m for his services, that worked out to a cost of €23m per goal scored, while he has cost €17.5m per assist.
Who could sign Hazard?
Hazard's stock has fallen so dramatically that no elite side in Europe will be willing to take a punt on his fitness.
He obviously has the talent, and his career at the top level isn't over, but he will need to prove he can avoid injuries in order to find form again.
The biggest club that has been linked with Hazard recently is Arsenal.
According to Foot Mercato, Arsenal have 'initiated the first contact' with Real Madrid for his transfer.
However, those rumours seem unlikely as Mikel Arteta is building a squad full of fit, hungry young players, and any acquisition of Hazard could upset the balance in what is looking like a well-drilled team.
The richest club in the world now is Newcastle following their Saudi-backed takeover.
Following the takeover, they were linked with hundreds of players, including Hazard in the January window.
No negotiations transpired, but Newcastle might still be looking for a marquee signing to lead the new club revolution, and Hazard would certainly be the biggest name they could attract.
Further down the pecking order, former club Lille have also been mentioned as a possible destination.
