LaLiga Rumours: Real Madrid close to finalising a cut-price move for Premier League star

What's the story?

According to the Spanish media outlet, Marca, Real Madrid is close to finalising terms with Premier League giants, Chelsea, for securing the services of Eden Hazard.

Real Madrid is also offloading Mateo Kovacic to Chelsea, who has spent the current season at Stamford Bridge on loan.

In case you didn't know...

With 16 goals and 15 assists in the Premier League, Hazard has helped Chelsea secure a top-four spot on the league table. The Belgian attacker has also been directly involved in 31 goals, more than any other player in the league.

Hazard played a decisive role in Chelsea's Carabao Cup campaign, where they eventually lost to Manchester City in the final. Last night, the Belgian converted the last penalty in the shoot-outs as Chelsea overcame Frankfurt's challenge to reach the Europa League final. Over the years, Hazard has proven himself to be an asset for the Blues.

Hazard delivered some stellar performances in the World Cup last year, and it goes without saying that he is at the peak of his career. The 28-year-old will enter the last year of his contract in the 2019-20 season, and he is yet to sign a new contract with the Blues. Moreover, Hazard has never hidden his desire to play for Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane.

The heart of the matter

According to the report, Hazard and Real Madrid have reached an agreement for some time now. But Chelsea valued Hazard around €140 million, and Madrid is not willing to pay more than €100 million. Los Blancos are close to finalising a deal with Chelsea for both Hazard and Kovacic.

Kovacic has been on loan at Chelsea since the start of the current season, and the Croatian's move will be made permanent. The Blues face a transfer ban, but that won't stop the transfer of Kovacic, who has already been registered with the club since 2018.

The deals for Hazard and Kovacic will be independent, and Hazard will become the most expensive signing in Real Madrid's history.