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Chelsea legend Eden Hazard has said that he was close to joining their domestic rivals Manchester United.
The recently retired midfielder was looking to join the Premier League after deciding to leave Ligue 1 side Lille at the end of the 2011-12 season. However, he said that the Blues were not an option, as they had not fared well that campaign.
Chelsea finished sixth in the Premier League that season but won their first UEFA Champions League title and also won the FA Cup. It meant that despite their lowly league finish they would feature in the blue riband European competition the next campaign.
In a chat on his former Blues teammate Jon Obi Mikel's podcast (as per Daily Star), Hazard revealed that he had scouted multiple Premier League clubs, but the Blues weren't one of them:
“I had a chat with Sir Alex Ferguson, I spoke with Harry Redknapp. I went to Manchester to see the Manchester City training ground. I had a few options but not Chelsea because the last year I was at Lille, Chelsea was not that good in the league.
“When you (Mikel and Chelsea) won the Champions League, in the league you finished sixth. I knew I was leaving France to go to the Premier League but not Chelsea because I wanted to play Champions League.
He added that a call from Didier Drogba swayed him towards the Blues, and the rest, as they say, is history:
“That move came because you won the Champions League. Ah my friend, Chelsea was like far away. That’s why I say thank you to (Didier) Drogba.”
After seven prolific seasons at Stamford Bridge, Hazard joined Real Madrid in 2019 but was never the same player again.
How did Eden Hazard fare at Chelsea?
Eden Hazard is a bonafide Blues legend, establishing himself as one of the finest players at his position during a glorious seven-year stint at the club between 2012 and 2019.
In 352 appearances across competitions, the recently retired Belgian amassed impressive tallies of 110 goals and 92 assists. One of his most prolific campaigns at Stamford Bridge was his last one in 2018-19.
In 52 games across competitions, Hazard contributed 21 goals and 17 assists as the Blues won the UEFA Europa League. They finished third in the Premier League and lost in the EFL Cup final and the FA Community Shield.
