Real Madrid News
Saudi Arabian giants eyeing move for mega-money Real Madrid flop
Eden Hazard has become an outcast of sorts at Real Madrid in recent years. Although the Belgian remains a well-liked figure within the club, no one in the camp believes he has what it takes to turn his fortunes around, following a forgettable start to his career at Santiago Bernabeu.
Hazard has indeed scored only seven goals in 73 competitive matches for Real Madrid, who spent around €115 million to secure his services in 2019.
With his contract expiring in 2024, Real Madrid are facing immense pressure to offload Hazard in the summer of 2023, knowing it will be their last chance to recoup some amount of the fortune they spent in 2019.
According to Foot Mercato, Real Madrid’s prayers might just be answered by Al Nassr next summer, as the Saudi Arabian outfit have shown the desire to sign the Belgian international.
After making headlines by signing Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr are ready to further enhance their team sheet in 2023. They have been linked with moves for Sergio Ramos, N’Golo Kante and even Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric.
But it appears they have now set their sights on Hazard, who has recently announced his retirement from international football following Belgium’s poor showing in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Al Nassr head coach Rudi Garcia knows Hazard well, with the duo having worked together at LOSC Lille. Garcia even played a key role in helping the former Chelsea starlet make his professional breakthrough and it appears he is now ready for a reunion.
At the age of 31, Hazard still has a few more years under his belt and could form a formidable attacking partnership with Ronaldo at Al Nassr. And with his contract expiring in 2024, a summer move could make sense for all parties involved, including Real Madrid.
Marco Asensio is fighting for his future at Real Madrid. The 27-year-old winger is out of contract at the end of the season and there is no concrete decision made by the club over his renewal as of yet.
Some reports had suggested that the club had tabled an offer worth €4 million per year, which the Spaniard did not like as he sought a higher pay packet closer to around €6 million-a-year.
With his future a subject of intense speculation, Asensio had been linked with a move away to Premier League clubs such as Arsenal and Liverpool.
Meanwhile, closer to home, there were strong links to Real Madrid’s arch-rivals Barcelona. Indeed, the Catalans have been touted as potential suitors for Asensio for quite some time now due to the fact that he is represented by Jorge Mendes.
The superagent has close ties with Barcelona president Joan Laporta and reports in Spain have suggested that the Real Madrid winger has, indeed, been offered to the current La Liga leaders.
Amidst these speculations, however, Asensio has seemingly made it clear as to where his heart lies as he awaits a decision on his future.
During last night’s El Clasico against Barcelona, the Real Madrid winger came on as a substitute and went on to score a goal, following which he celebrated at Camp Nou, pointing to the Real Madrid logo on his shirt, showing where his allegiances lie.
The goal, however, was disallowed by the VAR, and Los Blancos ended up losing the game 2-1 thanks to a stoppage-time winner by Franck Kessie.
Earlier today, Asensio took to Instagram and posted a picture of him celebrating with his finger pointing to the Real Madrid logo, reiterating his commitment to the club amidst the links to Barcelona.
As for his disallowed goal, it sparked an angry reaction from Carlo Ancelotti, who questioned the legitimacy of the decision made by the VAR during his post-match press conference.
