The perennial Madrid-Hazard rumours are persistent. Hazard, on various occasions, has expressed his desire to join the Madrid side and he can most likely join the European Champions in the summer. Having even said that it's his ‘dream’ to play for Real Madrid. With the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, the all-time top scorer of Real Madrid, it was highly speculated that Hazard could fit in place of the Portuguese. But is he the right man for the job? There are many reasons as to why Real Madrid should not go for Hazard.
The dearth of Goals
When it comes to goal scoring, Hazard is particularly not the first choice.The Belgian has never managed to score even 20 goals for the Blues in all the competitions since his arrival from Lille in 2012. In the Premier League, Hazard has scored 81 goals and provided 49 assists in 232 appearances. His per-game goal ratio stands at 0.35. Hazard himself admitted “I often ask myself what I can do to become like Messi or Ronaldo and score 50 or 60 goals in a season. I try of course but I realize that I will never be a true scorer. It’s not in me. It’s mainly mental.” When Ronaldo left, 50 goals a season went with him. Benzema has been quite inconsistent for the past few seasons and you can’t rely on Bale because of his recurring injuries. Hazard’s arrival would have no effect if there is not a good goalscorer that Real Madrid could depend upon. Real Madrid could go for Cavani for short term solutions but if they want a long term solution Icardi or Mbappe would be the right decision. Hazard would certainly bring in a lot of assists and wonderful playmaking but the Belgian would not be able to address Real Madrid’s goalscoring worries.
Madrid’s New Transfer Policy
Despite the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid did not make any big signings in the summer or winter. This shows how much their transfer policy has changed in the past 3-4 seasons. They have moved from buying ‘Galacticos’ to buying young players and developing them. Hazard is 28 now and is among the finest players in the world but it does not bore well with Madrid’s new ideology. With the best players of Real Madrid such as Ramos, Marcelo, Modric, and Benzema already in their 30s, the Real Madrid board should go for young players looking at the long run. Hazard still has some prime years ahead of him but it would not solve Real Madrid’s long term problems. At 28, Hazard has 2-3 seasons to play at the top of his form after which he might decline. This would prove to be a major problem for Madrid as many of their players are at the top of their form and would not wait for this much time and would move elsewhere.
Squad Depth
Real Madrid has an abundance of players that can play at Hazard’s position. Bale, Isco, Vasquez, Asensio are exceptional and versatile players. They have already established themselves as an asset for Real Madrid. Vasques scored the opening goal vs Barcelona and has been a reliable option for the Madrid Managers since Zidane. Dani Ceballos’s performances lately have been appreciable. Bringing Hazard would increase the competition and hinder these players’ growth. This list also includes Vinicius jr. too who has been brilliant in his first season. The recent fixtures against Barcelona and Atletico showed that Vinicius jr. is ready for a big role at the club. The former Flamingo player earned the penalty against Gimenez that Ramos converted. Thus, there are many players in the current Real Madrid squad that fulfilled the Hazard’s qualities.
Hazard is a phenomenal player and no doubt will be successful at Real Madrid but it does not seem that he can fix Real Madrid’s main and the most crucial problems. The Belgian is the main man at Chelsea and has been one of the reasons of success for the London club in recent years. If this transfer happens, which seems quite likely by looking at Hazard’s comments, it would be interesting to see how he fares in the Spanish Capital.
