Real Madrid News
Eden Hazard has requested Real Madrid coaches for a change in position – report
Eden Hazard’s move to Real Madrid has not quite gone to plan for either party. The Belgian was one of the best players in the world in 2019 when he arrived to the Spanish capital, but has been a victim of recurring injuries and health issues since.
To put things into context, Hazard has played just 48 games in La Liga over the last three season, registering four goals and six assists. Vinicius Jr’s increasing importance in the team – on the left-wing no less – makes matters worse for him.
Hazard has recovered from his latest injury and is completely ready for the 2022/23 season. He has, however, requested Carlo Ancelotti and the Madrid coaches to change his position, according to a Sport1 report, as relayed by Defensa Central.
The former Chelsea man made his name playing on the left wing, but has asked to be deployed centrally next season as a midfielder, second striker, or a no. 10. The coaches will analyse this during pre-season.
The reasons for this can be speculated to be three-fold.
One, and the most obvious one, is the competition on the wings at Madrid. The left-wing is Vinicius’ to lose now, while Rodrygo and Marco Asensio fight it out on the other side. Not to mention, Hazard is not particularly comfortable on the right-wing.
Secondly, at 31, after several career-threatening injuries, Hazard has lost quite a bit of pace. While his dribbling may still be astute, modern teams requite wingers to have the frightening speed to lead counter attacks.
Finally, Ancelotti needs to take special care of Karim Benzema next season. The Frenchman participated in four competitions during 2021/22, and with the national team during breaks, scoring a bucket-load of goals.
However, next season could be one of the most taxing one for players as they attempt to juggle club football with the World Cup.
Playing Hazard centrally, possibly as a false 9, means Benzema may get the much-needed rest he needs. With the Belgian up front, the team may lost a physical presence in the box, but his technical prowess means the flow of the attack will not be halted.
Either way, Hazard is not particularly unfamiliar with central roles. He was often deployed as a false nine by Antonio Conte, and he has also spent a fair bit of time as an attacking midfielder.
If he can stray away from his injurious recent past, there is little denying that Hazard still has what it takes to revive his glorious career.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid weighing up January move for €70 million-rated Arsenal midfielder – report
Real Madrid’s midfield is the one department where Jose Mourinho sees clear scope for improvement, especially given that the club did not sanction his wish for a top midfield signing in the summer.
While Bernardo Silva has chipped in as a handy option to feature in the deep midfield, the club still lacks a controlling and creative option who can glue the team together.
In that sense, there is a clear lacuna that Real Madrid need to address and Defensa Central brings to light that the club have opened up to a potential target.
Zubimendi emerges as a target
Indeed, the player in question is Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi who the club have seen as a target for a long time, and Real Madrid could even go on to sign him in January.
The Spanish international has not started off the new season well under Mikel Arteta and has primarily featured as a substitute. He does, thus, see a move to Madrid with good eyes in every sense.
Real Madrid, for their part, have not ruled out his signing as was reported in recent months and there is even a chance they seriously pursue him in the winter transfer window as a mid-season fix.
The possible fee
The Spanish outlet also add that Zubimendi’s move to Real Madrid could be completed for a fee similar to what Arsenal paid for the player for his transfer from Real Sociedad – €70 million.
Mourinho’s insistence on making a new midfield signing is no secret, and with a clear target now in mind, the board could well back him with the player he wishes.
Notably, however, even Chelsea are seriously interested in his signing.
So far, Federico Valverde has been Real Madrid’s mainstay in midfield, and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return will change the team’s dynamics in the department.
Neither player, however, offers the control and distribution skill set that the team direly lack.
A big part of whether or not the club pushes for Zubimendi, however, will depend on how the Valverde-Tchouameni combination plays out in the coming months. It is, after all, the manager’s first-choice combination for big games.
