Hazard blocking Spain star from making Real Madrid return

Stuart Telford

• 17 Mar 2023 10:33 CDT
• 3 min read

Real Madrid want rid of Eden Hazard, but the Belgian is refusing to budge, which is creating a personnel problem at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Hazard's time in Madrid has proved an unmitigated disaster for the club. Real spent a club record €146.1 in signing him from Chelsea in 2019, but he has struggled to recreate the form he showed in West London.

Hazard has yet to feature in a single minute of El Clasico, and come Sunday, that will likely be 11 incarnations of Spain's biggest fixture that the winger has missed.

READ: Hazard REFUSES to leave Real Madrid

Real would like to offload him this summer, and not just because of his club-high €31.3m-a-year salary before tax. Hazard takes up a squad place, one they have Brahim Diaz, coming to the end of a three-year loan with AC Milan, pencilled in for.

Hazard out, Brahim in

"Real think Brahim is ready to integrate into their attacking plans," report Spanish sports daily, AS. "But Madrid plan to give Alvaro Rodriguez a squad place and the signing of a striker to compete with Karim Benzema isn't ruled out.

"Hazard is of no use to [Carlo] Ancelotti and Madrid would prefer that he left and gave his place to Brahim."

READ: Real Madrid want Brahim Diaz back after THREE YEARS out on loan

Brahim had eight goal-involvements as Milan lifted the Scudetto last season, and the feeling is that he is ready to cut his teeth in the Spanish capital.

With Benzema set to stay another year, the Frenchman will be joined in the final third by Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Federico Valverde in 2023/24, with the aforementioned Rodriguez and Brahim their desired cover.

Hazard has consistently maintained that he plans to see out his contract at Real, which runs until June 2024.

As well as it being difficult to find a club that would match his salary expectations, the 32-year-old is also expecting his third child with his wife this summer, and the family are understood to be settled in Madrid.