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It is fair to say that Eden Hazard is having one of his best seasons at Chelsea. The Belgian winger has had an excellent first half of the season, and has been one of the top players in the Premier League.
Hazard is certainly benefitting from Maurizio Sarri taking over as Chelsea manager, and the style of play that he has implemented at Stamford Bridge. Under Antonio Conte, the Blues set up quite defensively, and Hazard was often required to do defensive work, and he wasn’t really given the freedom in attacking areas.
However, things have changed under Sarri. Chelsea have switched to a 4-3-3 formation, with Jorginho dictating play from deep. This has worked for Hazard, who has been given more of a free-role off the left wing, and has had a much greater influence on games.
So far this season, Hazard has been directly in more goals than any other player in the Premier League, having netted ten goals and provided nine assists. He also scored one of the goals of the season in the Carabao Cup against Liverpool, as Chelsea came from behind to win at Anfield.
His form has though caught the eyes of Spanish giants Real Madrid. Having sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus in the summer, Real have struggled this season, form which has already resulted in the sacking of manager Julen Lopetegui.
They appear to have identified Hazard as his replacement, and the Belgian has made comments in the past that suggest he may be interested in moving to the Bernabeu. Here are five players who could replace him at Chelsea if he moves to Spain.
#1 Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund)
If reports are to be believed, this is a deal that is already in the pipeline. The 20-year-old American has become one of the most sought-after players in Europe over the past couple of years, and it appears that Chelsea have won the race for his signature. The Dortmund winger has made a real impact in his three years in Europe, and it looks like he could be the man Chelsea have an eye on to replace Hazard.
He has had a slightly tougher year this time out though, falling behind Jadon Sancho in the pecking order, with the Englishman putting in some superb performances so far this season. Pulisic is still only 20 though, and certainly still has a lot of room to improve. There are a lot of similarities in his game to Hazard, in the way that he likes to run at defenders. He is also capable of playing anywhere behind the striker, so would have a give Maurizio Sarri a lot of options.
#2 Leon Bailey (Bayer Leverkusen)
Bailey is another young player who is similar to Hazard in a number of ways. Like Pulisic, he is someone who has made a bit of a name for themselves in Germany and may now be looking to take the step to the next level. He has now been at Bayer Leverkusen for two years, having made the switch from Belgian club Genk in January 2017.
To this stage in his career, the 21-year-old has probably been at the right two clubs. At Genk he had the opportunity to get experience in senior football, while at Leverkusen he has been able to take the next step up, and show off his qualities at the highest level. He would be joining a bigger and better club by moving to Chelsea, and with his pace, skill, and directness, he would fit in well at Stamford Bridge.
#3 Isco (Real Madrid)
He may not naturally play in the same position as Hazard, but Isco is certainly someone who has the quality to have the same influence that the Belgian has at Chelsea. The 26-year-old has been an important player for Real Madrid over the last few years, but that has changed in recent months. The Spaniard has found himself out of the side under new manager Santiago Solari, who replaced Julen Lopetegui after a disastrous start to the season.
However, Isco is still a world-class talent and would be an excellent addition to the Chelsea side. At the start of the season, it would have seemed unlikely that Isco would leave Real, but he may now go looking for first-team football in January. At 26, he is approaching his peak, and is far too good a player to be sat on the bench. He would also suit the philosophy Sarri is trying to instil, and he would create a pretty formidable midfield.
#4 Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
This may be more of a wildcard option, but there is a chance that Chelsea could look at Crystal Palace’s star man when it comes to January. There is no doubt that on paper, Zaha looks like he has all the attributes need to succeed at a top side, and there is certainly an argument to be made that he is the best player in the Premier League outside the top six.
He may also be looking to prove that he can do it at the highest level, having struggled when he moved to Manchester United in 2013. The one stumbling block may be the fee, as it seems unlikely that Zaha will want to force a move, and Palace will demand a high price. They are under no serious pressure to sell, and they certainly will not want to lose their most important player midway through the season.
#5 Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea)
It may be that the natural replacement for Hazard may already be at Stamford Bridge. The 18-year-old is probably the most talented player to come through the ranks at Chelsea for a number of years, and he has started to break into the side this season. He has appeared in a number of Europa League games so far this season, scoring his first senior goal in the 4-0 win over PAOK.
The issue for Chelsea may be keeping Hudson-Odoi at the club because reports suggest that Bayern Munich are circling. It may be that Chelsea need to offer him more opportunities in the first team, because the teenager may be looking at someone like Jadon Sancho, who has found success in Germany, and feel that he could do the same.
