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One of the biggest transfer signings in decades is officially complete, as Eden Hazard finally fulfilled his dream of playing for Real Madrid. The Spanish giants have managed to capture his signature in a move reportedly worth €100m + variables.
The Belgian superstar is set to join up with his new teammates on July 1st and we can expect that he would continue his trajectory at the Bernabeu after spending seven successful years at Stamford Bridge.
This transfer has far-reaching consequences for multiple parties and while there are those who found themselves on the losing side due to this move, others are sure to make momentous gains.
In this piece, we shall be having a rundown of the five biggest winners from Eden Hazard's transfer to Real Madrid.
#1 Eden Hazard
For seven years in England, Eden Hazard starred for Chelsea and became unarguably one of the best players in the world.
However, for all of his displays, there was always a nagging feeling that he had quite outgrown the club and needed a bigger platform to achieve both his personal and collective ambitions.
The Blues have fallen a long way from having a squad replete with multiple world class players as it was in the middle of the last decade and the start of this one.
Eden Hazard has been one of a few shining lights at the team over the last few seasons and you could almost say that his teammates were dragging him back from unleashing his full potential.
Beyond that, while his time at Chelsea might be said to be mildly successful on the trophy count, a closer inspection would reveal that Hazard won just six major trophies at Chelsea, as his spell at the club was hampered by multiple off-field issues and managerial changes.
At 28, the closest he has ever gotten to lifting the Champions League is one semifinal appearance in 2014, while in lesser number of years than he has spent at Chelsea, a certain Lucas Vazquez of considerably less ability has triumphed in the competition on three occasions.
Also, while not everyone would be as open as Frank Ribery and Cristiano Ronaldo in their desire for individual awards, it is pertinent to note that everybody likes being recognized for their efforts and Eden Hazard is no exception.
The Ballon d'Or is the biggest accolade a player can receive in the game today, as it signifies a performance level far above your peers and it can be argued that for as long as Eden Hazard remained at Chelsea, his chances of ever being named the premier player in the world were next to nil.
To put this in perspective, Chelsea triumphed in the 2012 Champions League, but none of their players made it to the podium of the Ballon d'Or that year and it is hard to imagine this happening at a club like Real Madrid.
Furthermore, Los Blancos have produced 10 Ballon d'Or winners in their history, while all Chelsea can boast of is one second-placed finish in 2005. It is undeniable that Hazard's chances of winning the prestigious award are massively boosted with his transfer to Real Madrid.
#2 Real Madrid
The 2018/2019 season would go down in history as one of the worst in the club's history, as a side which only the season before won the Champions League struggled to match performances with shambolic displays on the field.
They set numerous unwanted records including for least goals scored in over two decades and saw their season end in March having been knocked out of the RO16 in the Champions League by Ajax on home soil.
A major reason for the club's underperformance was Perez' failure to sign a replacement for Ronaldo, while most of the players at the club struggled to step up to the plate in his absence.
This was a bitter lesson for the club and one of the first things Zinedine Zidane promised upon his reappointment as Los Blancos manager was a wholesale clearout of the squad and he is making good on his promise.
A total of four players have arrived for transfer fees in excess of £200m, but this is money well spent, with Eden Hazard being the pick of the bunch.
The 28-year-old is coming off the best season of his career, having contributed 21 goals and 20 assists in all competitions to help Chelsea achieve a top-four finish and also triumph in the Europa League.
He had also starred in the World Cup last year, helping Belgium to a third-place finish at the Mundial and for his efforts, he was awarded the Silver Ball at the tournament and was also voted into the FIFPRO XI for the first time in his career.
Beyond his contributions on the field, Real Madrid are also getting a bonafide world-class player who is a consummate professional off the field.
Despite having wanted a dream move to Real Madrid for some years, Eden Hazard never caused acrimony with his desire, still maintaining loyalty to Chelsea, respecting his contract and never once tried to force a move.
This earned him the respect of all and sundry associated with the club and this much was evident in the rousing send forth he got and Real Madrid would definitely reap the gains of signing him.
#3 Callum Hudson-Odoi
Callum Hudson-Odoi was one of the stars of the show as England triumphed in 2017 Under-17 World Cup and was almost instantly pushed into the first team of the Chelsea squad.
The 18-year-old, however, struggled to get much game time last season under Maurizio Sarri, with the Italian manager only giving him little run-ins in cup competitions.
On the few occasions where he did play, the Chelsea academy graduate caught the eye with his displays and it was understandable that he attracted the radar of most top clubs, with Bayern Munich tabling a concrete offer for him.
Fearing that his future would not be served by playing for Chelsea due to limited playing time, he submitted a transfer request to move to Bayern but saw it turned down by the club.
A major reason for the England international's lack of playing time was the presence of Eden Hazard as both men operate in the same position on the field and chances of ever displacing the Belgian skipper form the starting lineup were always going to be slim.
Eden Hazard's departure opens up a world of opportunity for Callum Hudson-Odoi and this coupled with the club's impending ban means that The Blues would be counting on him to play a starring role next season.
They have reportedly offered him a new contract worth £100,000 per week, while he could also inherit Eden Hazard's number 10 jersey which is symbolic of passing of the torch.
#4 Zinedine Zidane
Eden Hazard's transfer to Real Madrid is a move nine years in the making, as back in 2010, Zinedine Zidane recommended his signing from his advisory position to Real supremo Florentino Perez which was turned by the club president who was in the middle of his 'galactico 2.0' experiment with the likes of Kaka and Ronaldo..
The Frenchman had then referred to the Belgian as a star of the future and nine years on, his prophecy has come to pass, with the 28-year-old being one of the very best in the business.
Zinedine Zidane was thoroughly unimpressed with the state of the squad he inherited upon his return and it was a priority to get new players in and Eden Hazard was identified as the top target.
Good players make the job of any manager easier while genuine game changers practically take most of the job off their coach's hands. In terms of game-changing ability, there are not many players better than Eden Hazard and as such, Zinedine Zidane would be confident of reaching the pinnacle with Real Madrid once again.
#5 Real Madrid forwards
Last season, Real Madrid suffered from a lack of creativity, with this telling on their output in front of goal. The club went over 400 minutes without a goal at one point in the campaign, while their forwards failed to match previous records in front of goal.
Their goals returns were truly atrocious, with only Karim Benzema reaching double figures in La Liga. Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio, Mariano Diaz and Vinicius Jr all managed a paltry 37 goals in all competitions between them.
This is truly atrocious for a club of Real Madrid's caliber and the reason for this is not far fetched, as there was not enough creativity in the middle of the park and elsewhere.
Eden Hazard's arrival helps solve that conundrum, as over the years, the Belgian skipper has proven to be one of the very best playmakers in the world, with him regularly topping lists of most chances created in Europe.
Strikers thrive off good services provided and Hazard's presence is guaranteed to provide chances for the Real Madrid forwards to bury and this is sure to bring out the best of the likes of Karim Benzema and Luka Jovic.
