The Eden Hazard transfer saga is nearing its climax and this story will sadly not conclude with a happy ending for Chelsea, according to reports out of Spain.
A recent report by Marca states that the Belgian is nearing a Stamford Bridge exit. His destination: Real Madrid. After months of speculation, Los Blancos now appear to have won the battle to land the former Lille sensation.
The Spanish news outlet writes that an agreement is close to being agreed between the Spanish Primera Division heavyweight and his Premier League employers. They add that his Santiago Bernabeu switch "will be sealed in the coming days".
Real Madrid has long been interested in the 28-year-old, given the detrimental effect the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo has had on the club. The return of Zinedine Zidane, who is a fan of Hazard and is idolized by the Belgian, saw the links increase.
Marca writes that Zizou gave this move the green light last week after assessing the team's needs. Pace and skills are what the Madrid giant needs and Eden ticks all of the boxes.
The Blues superstar is entering the final year of his contract and is reluctant to sign an extension, which means the London giant will either have to sell this summer or risk losing him for nothing in 2020. Furthermore, the fact that Chelsea is struggling under Sarri and looks likely to miss out on Champions League football for another season could be a huge factor.
After being quoted $224M in the summer, Real Madrid killed their interest in Hazard. However, the article did not name the price Los Blancos have agreed to pay.
