• February 13, 2025

Where Does Hazard Fit in at Real Madrid

Eden Hazard

Eden Michael Hazard finally completed what appears to be his dream move to Real Madrid for a reported fee of approximately €100 million on 30th June 2019. The supremely talented attacking midfielder is one of the biggest stars in the world game, and undoubtedly a coup for Los Blancos and returning manager Zinedine Zidane. Madrid had been strongly linked with the player for a number of years, and it is somewhat of a surprise that Chelsea managed to resist their advances for so long. Hazard made a total of 245 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 85 goals in the process. The Belgian did have a couple of mixed seasons during his tenure in terms of form which can be put down to various management changes, as well as question marks over his long term future.

With the current crop of Real Madrid players having struggled for goals last term, the addition of Hazard will no doubt improve their tally during the 2019-20 campaign. Not only can the diminutive play maker provide chances for his teammates to convert, he is also capable of regularly hitting the back of the net, and can even play as a striker when required. This clearly isn’t Eden’s preferred role, but it will definitely be useful for Zidane to have that option at his disposal. Since Cristiano Ronaldo departed for Juventus in 2018, Real Madrid have not managed to replace his goal threat or presence on the pitch, and they will clearly be hoping that Eden Hazard can fill this void. The manager is likely to play Hazard on the left of midfield and allow him the freedom to express himself. Zinedine Zidane’s tactical outlook will potentially suit Hazard a lot better than the more demanding instructions he was asked to fulfil during his time at Chelsea. The Frenchman shows a preference for a more fluid attack minded approach, and is unlikely to demand very much in terms of defensive duties from his prized asset.

Historically, Real Madrid are obviously well known for their ‘Galácticos’. For those unfamiliar with the term, these are world famous stars, who also have a price tag to match. While Madrid appear to have moved away from this approach in the transfer market during recent times, the arrival of Eden Hazard might suggest that big name superstars are back on the agenda. Whether the side will now be built around Hazard remains to be seen, but if that is to be the case, Eden does appear to have the temperament to take on such a crucial role for the Spanish giants.