Sources told the media that several Premier League clubs have tested the possibility of their signing real Madrid player Eden Hazard in January.
Clubs such as Chelsea and Newcastle have taken note of the possibility of a transfer, although it is unclear how much interest Hazard, 30, will have, or whether he himself is ready to end his career at the Bernabeu.
In last weekend's match against Barcelona, Hazard was left on the bench. After the game, head coach Carlo Ancelotti said: "The problem for Hazard now is that his coach prefers other players."
Although he subsequently praised Hazard's work ethic, it was a terrible assessment for the player he signed from Chelsea in 2019. The player's initial contract was worth €100 million, along with a series of performance-based additional terms.
Hazard started just 25 games in La Liga and scored five goals in 52 games.
Madrid are raising money for Garland in Borussia Dortmund and Kylian Mbappe in Paris Saint-Germain, and once his contract expires, he will likely appear in the form of a free transfer, but still have the potential to receive a huge signing fee and salary.
In his speech in June, Hazzard said he hoped to succeed in Madrid.
"I have a three-year contract with Real Madrid," he said. "I love this club. I love these players. I will give everything for this club next season. I don't think I'm going to leave Real Madrid now. ”
However, Ancelotti's position makes his future all the more questionable, and Real Madrid's desire to rebuild the team has prompted intermediaries to test clubs that may be of interest. The exact figures have not been discussed, but it has previously been said that the Spanish government is expected to recover about 50 million euros.
Azad spent seven seasons at Stamford Bridge and won the Premier League title twice. If Chelsea are officially interested in them, they could face competition from Newcastle, which will buy Newcastle for £305 million in January and look for a compelling contract.
After talks with several candidates, including Paul Vonseca, Lucian Fafrey and Frank Lampard, the club is expected to decide on their new coach this weekend.