Real Madrid winger linked to shocking summer Chelsea return

It’s become increasingly obvious over the last few weeks that Chelsea is likely going to shake up its roster during the summer transfer window. The Blues are sticking with Thomas Tuchel for at least another offseason—which seems like an absurd statement to make to other clubs, but this is Chelsea after all—following his FIFA Club World Cup triumph earlier this month. The German manager will be allowed to mold the Blues’ ranks to his liking and this likely starts with the attack. This unit has struggled heavily once again this year with every individual looking inconsistent and awkward at various times throughout the campaign.

A handful of wingers could be on the chopping block in a few months’ time, Christian Pulisic and Timo Werner looking the likeliest of the bunch to depart. There are also a few names who have been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele being the most prominent incoming rumor. However, if the latest round of transfer talks in the papers are anything to go by, it appears Chelsea is looking to another Spanish giant to retool its front line. Club legend Eden Hazard, who is currently at Real Madrid, has been linked with a return to SW6.

Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard is being linked with shocking return to Chelsea

Hazard left the Blues following the 2018/19 season. He exited on a high note as he guided Maurizio Sarri’s men to a UEFA Europa League final win over Arsenal before making a record move to the Spanish capital. Chelsea cashed in on one of its best ever players, receiving north of £100 million after a series of incentive-based fees were triggered by the Belgian. Unfortunately, Hazard has largely failed to live up to the expectations put on him by his huge transfer sum during his time in Madrid. Los Blancos have won a number of trophies, but injuries have hampered Hazard.

The 31-year-old has played 3,318 minutes (the equivalent of ~37 full matches) with Real Madrid. Sadly, he’s missed 61 games with an absurd amount of injuries during the same period. This has unfortunately led to fans completely writing off Hazard, despite his undeniable talent. His 16 G/A during those minutes is not an awful return given the circumstances in actuality. Nevertheless, many Chelsea supporters are understandably skeptical of a potential return.

Real Madrid is looking to also retool its attack in the summer with Gareth Bale already confirmed to be on his way out the door. The Spaniards look desperate to ditch Hazard on his massive wages as they attempt to pursue Kylian Mbappe and potentially even Erling Haaland. Therefore, the club seems willing to do anything it can to push the Zinedine Zidane signing out—including sending him away on loan. There is a lot of love for Hazard in SW6, but it’s unlikely Marina Granovskaia would ever spend money to bring him back in his current form. A loan is as low risk as moves come though, so Chelsea could take a flyer on its former superstar if he is truly available.

Hazard is the textbook definition of a “low risk, high reward” transfer at this stage of his career. He left the Blues following arguably his best season to date. Seeing as we are just three years removed from that superb season, it’s very possible that form is in there somewhere, waiting to be let out. Chelsea could also be making a lateral move though. Replacing Pulisic and Werner with Dembele and Hazard is the equivalent of taking one step forward and two steps back. The reason the Blues are looking to move on from the former duo is because of inconsistency and lengthy injury histories—two of the first descriptives that come to mind when thinking of the latter two.

The emotional side of every Blues supporter wants to welcome Hazard back with open arms. He spent a majority of his career in the English capital, winning almost every competition there was to win with Chelsea. He’s one of the club’s best players ever and Stamford Bridge will always be his home, at least as far as fans are concerned. That said, the uneasiness is justified. Hazard is not the same player he was when he left, that much is undeniable. The truth is nobody on the planet knows how a potential return would work out for the winger. If the Blues are going to actually go through with this transfer, they need to ensure they have adequate back-up options out wide.

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