Real Madrid have abandoned all hope of getting Eden Hazard back to his previous best following the winger’s poor showing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with Aston Villa reportedly keen on signing the attacker in January.
According to AS journalist Jesus Gallego via Le 10 Sport, the reigning UEFA Champions League holders view Hazard ‘as a lost cause’ after failing to impress out in Qatar with Belgium as the Red Devils crashed out of the group stages of the competition, costing Roberto Martinez his job.
Hazard joined Madrid in 2019 in a £150m deal as reported by BBC Sport. Yet the transfer has been nothing short of a disaster for Los Blancos, with the winger spending the majority of his time in Spain out on the injury table, with the winger yet to show a single shred of form in the three years spent with the La Liga side.
And as a result, Madrid are desperate to offload the attacker in the upcoming January window, where Villa have shown interest according to Defensa Central, with Unai Emery keen to make a superstar signing in the winter market to boost his new club’s morale.
Villa made a similar deal last January under Steven Gerrard in the form of Philippe Coutinho, with the Brazilian international in an almost parallel situation to what Hazard finds himself in at Madrid. And these latest comments from Gallego could hint that a deal might be easier to conclude than first thought.
Indeed, Madrid seem intent on offloading Hazard in 2023, and with Villa so far the only club linked with the Belgian international in the past few weeks, there’s every chance that Emery could pull off one of the most surprising transfers of the season in the coming days.
Villa should take a risk on signing Hazard in January
Villa are one of the most ambitious clubs in the Premier League, with the Birmingham-based side making moves that many would consider quite impressive, such as the appointment of Emery himself. Which is why signing Hazard would be such an exciting risk for the Premier League team.
After all, Hazard is currently fit enough to start matches with the winger featuring in every World Cup game for Belgium this month. And with some training and a return to a familiar league, the 31-year-old could soon be back to his best at Villa, which could be an incredible outlet for Emery’s side.
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