After a disappointing 2015/16 season, Eden Hazard has reminded the world of football about his quality once again, with a sterling 2016/17 season for Chelsea so far. Predictably, that has set tongues wagging, with clubs like Real Madrid rumoured to be preparing a world record move for the Belgian superstar.
Whether that transfer goes through or not, Eden Hazard will not see out the rest of his career in Chelsea, as he’s previously admitted that he would leave the Blues after winning the Premier League. With Chelsea on track to win this season, the Belgian’s time in London might be coming to an end sooner rather than later.
Here are 5 replacements for Eden Hazard if he decides to leave Chelsea in the summer:
#5 Arda Turan
By most accounts in the Spanish media, Barcelona attacker Arda Turan has had a poor season. However, when looking at the numbers of the Turkish talisman, things get a wee bit surprising. In 29 games this season, Turan has made a startling 20 goal contributions, with 13 goals and 7 assists in all competitions. Those compare favourably with Hazard, with the Belgian involved in 16 goals for Chelsea in 31 appearances this season.
Turan came to the world’s attention with some stellar performances on the wings for Atletico Madrid and were Chelsea to buy him, he would slot in straight away into Hazard’s position. Blessed with similar twinkle-toed feet like Hazard, Turan could link up with former teammate Diego Costa (at Atletico Madrid) right from the get go and is perfectly suited to play in Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 formation.
Given that his star has fallen in recent times as he’s struggled to make the first team for Barcelona, Turan could come to Chelsea for a cut-price fee in the range of €25 – 30 million. The player himself is hungry to make his mark and Chelsea could be the perfect place to reignite his career.
#4 Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco
Replacing one Belgian with another rarely works in football, but in this case, Chelsea could really pull off a clever move for the ages. Ferreira Carrasco has all the ingredients to be a superstar – pace, trickery, vision – but inconsistencies with his game has seen the Belgian rotated in and out of Atletico’s first team XI this year.
Despite that, Carrasco has racked up 2553 minutes on the pitch in 41 appearances this season, being involved in a goal every 213 minutes. That’s a smidgen better than his national teammate, as Hazard is involved in a goal every 220 minutes for Chelsea. With 12 goals and 5 assists despite playing on the wings, Carrasco knows where the back of the net is.
Conte’s taskmaster like approach would not be a shock to the system for Carrasco since he is familiar with Diego Simeone. However, the freedom offered under Chelsea’s 3-4-3 could be perfect for Carrasco, with the Belgian likely to iron out the flaws in his game under Conte. Valued at 40 million, Chelsea could easily replace Hazard in an effective way while making a substantial profit if they opt for Carrasco.
#3 James Rodriguez
Real Madrid President Florentino Perez must wince whenever he recalls James Rodriguez’ transfer, with the Colombian bought for a huge fee after Madrid succumbed to the hype surrounding him post the 2014 FIFA World Cup. However, James could turn out to be a brilliant bargaining tactic in Real Madrid's pursuit of Eden Hazard, as part of a swap deal.
The Colombian has struggled for game time under Zinedine Zidane, with the situation unlikely to change. Chelsea came incredibly close to prying him away from Madrid in January, only for James to pull the plug at the last minute as Zidane promised him greater game time. Those promises have failed to come to fruition, which all but guarantees James’ move away from the club.
With 17 goal contributions (12 assists, 5 goals) from 24 games, James is only marginally better than Hazard in numbers, but they do not do justice to the fact that his involvement occurs once every 263 minutes, which Hazard betters comfortably. The Colombian is restricted when he plays for Madrid, and Chelsea boss Conte could offer him more freedom by building the attack around him – a situation he thrives on when playing for Colombia.
#2 Angel di Maria
Angel di Maria’s success at Paris St-Germain has gone a long way to restoring his reputation after a miserable season with Manchester United, where Louis van Gaal’s tactical demands all but negated the Argentinian’s attacking instincts that proved so effective at Real Madrid.
Hazard (220) is involved in a goal more often than Di Maria (263), but the Argentinian has out-assisted the Belgian this year (9 goals, 10 assists), with the giant caveat being that Di Maria plays in Ligue 1. Di Maria’s quality is not in question though, and under the right system, he could thrive in the Premier League.
PSG will understandably be reluctant to see their star player leave, but Chelsea could spend big to bring Di Maria to London, as they will be flush with cash if Hazard leaves. Antonio Conte was a huge admirer of the Argentinian while at Juventus and could finally get his man in charge of the Blues, as he fashions his 3-4-3 to play to Di Maria’s strengths.
#1 Neymar Jr.
Gone are the days when you could replace a superstar with a young starlet or a shift in formation - if Eden Hazard leaves Chelsea, their fans are sure to demand a superstar signing. Neymar is that superstar, and then some. If reports are to be believed, this transfer might not seem as far-fetched as it sounds.
Also Read: Reports: Chelsea and Barcelona reach €180 Million agreement for Barcelona superstar
Neymar has already spoken of his desire to move to the Premier League:
I like the playing style and the teams. I admire Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool - these are the teams that are always fighting for the title. Who knows? I'd like to play there.
With 23 assists and 14 goals to his name already, Neymar is already a statistical upgrade over Hazard. When free from Lionel Messi’s shadow Neymar has shown his prowess – Brazilian fans and Chelsea winger Willian can testify to this. Conte would have a jewel to build a team around – and Chelsea could easily make a winning return to the UEFA Champions League with Neymar in the side.
