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What's the story?
La Liga struggles Real Madrid are ready to spend big by targeting Chelsea forward Eden Hazard, according to reports. The Sun ran an exclusive that claimed that Zinedine Zidane was ready to spend big in the transfer market to strengthen his squad and bring the unsettled Belgian star to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Also read: Top 10 highest paid players in the Premier League
In case you didn't know...
The 26-year-old has a contract with the Blues until 2020 and has so far rejected an offer to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge. Hazard was also promised a weekly wage of £300,000 per week.
That would have made him the highest earning player in the Premier League. Currently, he is only on £200,000 per week (excluding bonuses) - which does not even put him in the top five.
The heart of the matter
Hazard rejecting a new bumper deal suggests he is no longer happy at Chelsea. Although they have won the league a couple of times since his arrival in 2012, the London-based club have struggled to make an impact in Europe.
His father Thierry Hazard had also cast doubt on the Chelsea star's future at the club after he publicly claimed that a contract extension was on the table but had been rejected.
"Eden has refused a contract extension to possibly give effect to interest from Real Madrid, where he sees himself playing," he had said last week.
Video: The best of Eden Hazard
Author's take
Real Madrid need an injection of attacking talent in the squad considering how much they are struggling to create and convert chances in La Liga. They have only scored 30 league goals this season - compared to Barcelona's 45.
However, signing Hazard in the January transfer window seems impossible at this stage. Both teams are in the Champions League knockout stages and Hazard would be cup-tied. A summer transfer looks more likely.
With Cristiano Ronaldo not getting any younger, club president Florentino Perez may look to consolidate their Galacticos status with Hazard who has an admirer in Zidane.
