Here we go.
Real Madrid have launched a world record bid of €225m for Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois, according to Spanish newspaper SPORT. Hazard was not Real Madrid’s first choice, but after realising that they would not be able to sign either Neymar or Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, they have turned their attention towards Hazard.
Chelsea are demanding huge fees for their star players, having turned down a bid of €170m for Hazard from Real Madrid. Florentino Perez has since come back with a €225m bid that would include Courtois going to the Santiago Bernabéu too.
€225m is unlikely to be enough to buy both players, as Chelsea have stated that they want a fee in that region for Hazard alone.
Since Cristiano Ronaldo has moved on after nine years at Madrid, signing for Juventus, now is the time for Madrid to bring in a new left sided forward and Hazard fits the bill perfectly.
The 27-year-old enjoyed a brilliant World Cup for Belgium, who achieved their best ever finish in the competition, winning the third place playoff. His compatriot Courtois stood out between the sticks for Belgium, and has been linked with a move back to Spain ever since he moved ended his loan spell at Atlético Madrid in 2014.
The goalkeeper also made no bones about his desire to follow Hazard – after beating England on Saturday, he said:
“Where Hazard goes, I go too. We can’t be separated.”
The ball is now in Roman Abramovich’s court. He will not want to set Chelsea back having acquired Maurizio Sarri and Jorginho from Napoli, but he will face an uphill struggle in keeping hold of his Belgian duo.
