Finally and hopefully the Eden Hazard transfer saga is over as he is set to join ‘Champion’s League Winners’ or ‘European Champions’ Chelsea, after he announced his decision on his twitter page yesterday.
Chelsea defeated Bayern Munich in the finals of the Champions League this month and have qualified for the next season’s Champions League as the holders of the tournament after having finished sixth in the Premier League. There is no official announcement by either Lille or Chelsea about the transfer but its has been hugely speculated for the past two-three days that the clubs had agreed a fee in the region of £33m and the player had made up his mind about signing for the Blues over Manchester City and Manchester United.
Here we analyze Eden Hazard’s move to Chelsea and what does it mean for the club.
Is the transfer a Done Deal?
No. No transfer is a done deal until its confirmed and announced by both the clubs involved. Eden Hazard has just made his choice that he wants to join Chelsea but the club have refused to confirm the transfer in a statement to the Associated Press stating: “As with all transfers when we have something to announce, we will announce in the usual way.”
That means there is still time for other clubs like City and United to come in and hijack the deal. The transfer won’t be a done deal until the two clubs agrees a fee and the player passes a medical. And there have been no official reports from either Lille or Chelsea that things have been agreed.
What the does Eden Hazard signing means for Chelsea?
Eden Hazard is one of the most sought after players in world football and Chelsea beating the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City for his signature means a lot for the club. When Didier Drogba announced he would be leaving the club in the summer after his contract expired, the Chelsea fans were worried and looked at Juan Mata and Fernando Torres as their primary force of attack. But now with Eden Hazard signing surely the future is bright at Stamford Bridge.
With the arrival of Eden Hazard – who has 20 league goals and 15 assists for Lille this season – Chelsea now boast an incredibly impressive midfield with the likes of Juan Mata, Frank Lampard and Ramires already in it. All of them are great passers of the ball and can score some important goals as well. Chelsea looked more a defensive minded team last season especially in the Champions League, but now with the arrivals of Kevin De Bruyne, Marko Marin and Eden Hazard they certainly have more versatility in the final third.
The midfield of the Stamford Bridge club now is a powerhouse which consist the likes of Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, John Obi Mikel, Ramires, Florent Malouda, Oriol Romeu, Marko Marin, Kevin De Bruyne, Josh McEachran, Juan Mata and Eden Hazard. There not many teams in the world who can boast that much of talent and depth in the middle of the field.
Where will Eden Hazard play for Chelsea?
Hazard started the last season on the wings for Lille, but as the season progressed he was moved in the center by coach Rudi Garcia and was given the role of the main playmaker of the team. That drastically increased his performances for the Ligue 1 side and saw him end the season with 20 goals – including a hat-trick in his last game for the club – and 15 assists.
According to the recent reports in the Daily Mail, Hazard said he wanted to play the same role that he played for Lille, the number10 role for his new club, that is the role just behind the striker, the role of main playmaker. He would be playing the exactly same role at Stamford Bridge. The Blues played with a 4-2-3-1 formation under Roberto Di Matteo and if the Italian becomes the next permanent coach of the club then that formation would fit Hazard perfectly, as he would be the main man just behind Fernando Torres.
With his brilliant passing skills and creativity Hazard would perfectly fit in the role which he has asked for and at the same time could help Torres prove his worth to the club. Torres by no means had a bad season as compared to his first six months at the club but now with the arrival of Hazard expect Torres to get some more chances to score some more goals this season. I always said Chelsea needed a playmaker to get the best out of Torres and now finally they have got Eden Hazard.
At the same time the arrival of the Belgium international will also help to fill the void left by the departing Salomon Kalou. As stated before Hazard started his career on the wings and so when needed Hazard could also play on either wings. His ability to play with either foot, dribbling and pace would cause major trouble to fullbacks.
Why did Hazard choose Chelsea over United or City?
According to the reports in the Daily Mail, Hazard stated he would choose the club that would guarantee him more playing time and would also give him the number10 role. Chelsea were the best option among the three that would satisfy his demands. They desperately needed a playmaker as they can’t depend on Frank Lampard anymore to perform all season as he isnt getting any younger so Hazard was always going to be the main man around whom the team would be build, if he joined the Blues.
United play an orthodox 4-4-2 formation which meant Hazard would have to play on the wings where he would have faced some stiff competition from Antonio Valencia, Nani and Ashley Young for a starting place or he would have settle in the center of midfield besides Michael Carrick. Both the roles didn’t guarantee him much playing time as he wanted and neither gave him the number10 role which asked for. At City, Hazard would have faced some tough competition from David Silva and Samir Nasri for the role he wanted and at the same time he won’t have got the same amount of playing time he would get at Chelsea.
Many people would say Chelsea offered him more wages than the other two clubs but I feel there is no harm for the player to go for more money if he has chance to do that. We have seen in the past that money does buy success and Chelsea have proved that on many occasions, so going to Chelsea was not just about the money.
Will Hazard be a hit in the Premier League?
No one can say whether he would be a hit in the Premier League or will turn out to be Chelsea’s next big money signing that flopped. Hazard is a great talent and has the potential to be one of the best players in the Premier League but he needs to work hard. He won the Ligue 1 Player of the Year twice in the row with Lille but that doesn’t mean he would be a hit in the Premier League. He isn’t going to be as dominant at Chelsea as he was with Lille because Premier League is completely a different ball game compared to Ligue 1. The standard of the Premier League game is on a very higher level compared to any other league and we have seen many talented players come to the Premier League and failed. I just hope he lives upto his hype and reaches his potential as well as establishes himself as a Chelsea fan favourite.
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