Why is in-demand attacker Eden Hazard now looking at Chelsea over Manchester United or Manchester City?
Indecisive, a flirt, arrogant, call him what you will, Eden Hazard is the most talked about youngster in world football.
He hit a hat-trick for Lille on Ligue One’s final day, leaving any one watching on in no doubt that his reputation is one based on talent rather than hype.
His final season figures for Lille were outstanding, in 44 appearances he scored 20 goals and provided 17 assists. He is still only 21.
He was supposed to announce his choice of team for next season after Lille’s game on Sunday night, but he chose again to prolong the saga.
It appears that he certainly loves the attention, and for a young player to have England’s top clubs fawning over him must create a tough choice, even if many believe he is not handling it in the most dignified manner.
The reason he gave for his indecision was Chelsea’s interest and their Champions League win, and to be fair- we can see why.
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Prior to the weekend, Chelsea were not really an option for him. Outsiders in the Champions League to a Bayern side on home turf, it looked to Hazard as though if he chose Chelsea, it would be to play Europa League football.
Now after the Blues success, it has opened the door to a lucrative move to Stamford Bridge, one which may well be a far better solution that either Manchester club.
While Hazard can play in any position across the front line, his preferred position is as a left winger, or on the left side of a 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation.
At United he would fit right in, but competition from Ashley Young and Nani on the left would not guarantee him a starting spot week in week out. He would be just another attacking winger in the club’s side.
City too have quality wide men and playmakers of their own, in David Silva and Samir Nasri, but both would provide competition when it comes to finding a place in the starting line-up.
Hazard may find himself swallowed up in City’s array of goalscoring talent, this has to be a concern, albeit one somebody as talented and confident as he can overcome.
Nevertheless it underlines why Chelsea may well just be the best fit for him. Their options on the left wing are relatively limited.
They had to line-up for the biggest game in their history with youngster Ryan Bertrand in the position, thanks to a late injury to Florent Malouda, who is a near certainty to leave the club this summer.
Malouda could even find himself being thrown in as a makeweight in a deal for Hazard.
The Belgian would find himself being the main man and the star of the ‘New Chelsea’ a rebuilding project which will soon get underway, one signalled by Didier Drogba’s intention to leave the club and make a fresh start.
He would find himself alongside fellow Belgians Romelu Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne, not to mention Thibaut Courtois, when he eventually returns from his loan in Spain with Atletico Madrid.
Being a central figure in Chelsea’s rebuilding project is one which will appeal to Hazard’s ego, while allowing him to challenge for major honours and play Champions League football.
Not to mention the extra fillet of signing for the European Champions. If money is his temptation then Chelsea are not short of it.
Put simply, if Hazard signed for Chelsea he would slot straight into their starting line-up and there would be no extra complication.
United and City may both seem like a quicker route to success, looking at their Premier League finishes this season, and in truth both have great reasons to tempt him; City look like the team set to dominate English football, while United have a proven track record of creating mega-stars, and he can follow a certain Cristiano Ronaldo’s route to the top by taking the vacant number seven shirt which was once his.
Yet we can see why Chelsea have swayed his mind. It will be a tough decision for him, except we hope for everybody’s sake it does not drag on too much longer and he makes his choice and he announces it soon.
Should Hazard choose Chelsea?
image: © BruceW
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