Clasico Rejects FC: Hazard to follow Coutinho to Aston Villa

FT Desk

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:55 CDT
• 3 min read

Eden Hazard could finally have a way out of Real Madrid, with Aston Villa ready to make a bid for the Belgium winger.

Hazard has had a torrid time of it since joining Real in club record €146.1 million from Chelsea in the summer of 2019.

A four-time Chelsea Player of the Year who had 202 goal involvements in 352 games with the Blues, Hazard's numbers have dipped to seven and 11 for goals and assists respectively across 72 games in the three seasons since his move.

READ: Real Madrid have 'no idea' what to do with Hazard

Having Gareth Bale in your position might not be ideal for any player, but now Hazard finds himself the fourth-choice winger behind Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Federico Valverde - problematic for the club when he is the highest earner on around €30m a season.

Hazard still has another year to run on his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu after the current campaign, but Aston Villa could be ready to offer Hazard a way out from his on-field hell, with their new manager Unai Emery reportedly a fan.

"The Villains aren't having the best start to the season, hence the hiring of Unai Emery with the aim of steadying the ship," write Defensa Central. "The Spanish coach has already been given the go-ahead for Hazard, whom they see as playing a leading role in their attack. Real Madrid hope for a reasonable fee for his sale."

READ: Ex-Arsenal boss Emery appointed as Villa's Gerrard replacement

Emery, most recently of Villarreal, replaced Steven Gerrard as Villa manager last week, and he already has a former La Liga star looking to pick up the pieces of his career in England.

Coutinho's example

Philippe Coutinho made his loan deal from Barcelona permanent this summer for €20m having disappointed in four seasons on Barca's books - two of them spent on loan with Bayern Munich and then Villa.

While Coutinho only scored once in 10 meetings with Real, Hazard has never even played a single minute in El Clasico - Spain's biggest fixture which has seen eight editions since the Belgian moved to the Spanish capital.

Coutinho once cost Barcelona €165m, when he joined from Liverpool in January 2018, and was sold at a massive loss four-and-a-half years later.

What hit Real would be willing to take on Hazard remains to be seen, but the 31-year-old is now ranked at just €12m by Football Transfers' in-house algorithm.