Real Madrid rejected chance to sign Chelsea star this summer - Reports
Real Madrid reportedly received the chance to sign Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku before he joined Serie A side AS Roma.
The Athletic's Mario Cortegana reports that the Blues were keen to get rid of Lukaku at any cost. So much so that they offered the Belgian striker to Los Blancos before he headed back to Serie A with I Giallorossi.
Lukaku endured a stormy second spell at Chelsea where he came to loggerheads with former manager Thomas Tuchel. He struggled for form, managing 15 goals and two assists in 44 games across competitions. He cost a then-club record €113 million.
The 30-year-old then returned to his former club Inter Milan last season on loan but is now joining their Serie A rivals Roma. The Belgium international could have been headed to the Santiago Bernabeu but it appears Real Madrid turned a move down.
Carlo Ancelotti's side were on the lookout for a new center-forward following the departure of Karim Benzema earlier this summer. They signed Joselu on loan from Espanyol but there was a belief that a more proven world-class option was required.
Real Madrid appeared to be heavy favorites to sign Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe throughout the summer. The Frenchman refused to commit his future to the Ligue 1 champions and was subsequently made available for sale.
However, Mbappe is back on good terms with PSG and is staying at the Parc des Princes for at least this season. They may have considered Lukaku as a backup option given he bagged 14 goals and seven assists in 37 games across competitions last season.
Lukaku has instead joined Roma on a season-long loan. Chelsea spent the entire summer trying to offload him and he will now play under his former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho.
Chelsea hero and former Real Madrid attacker Eden Hazard is reportedly set to retire
According to Diario AS, Eden Hazard has lost the motivation and desire to continue his playing career. The Belgian was released by Real Madrid earlier this summer and has been without a club since.
The 32-year-old has received proposals from the MLS, Saudi Arabia, England, and Spain but has rejected them all. He was also handed the opportunity to link up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami on a lucrative deal but snubbed them also.
It means Hazard is now thinking of fully retiring after just nine months removed from his international retirement. He became a Chelsea legend during his seven years at Stamford Bridge. He bagged 110 goals and 92 assists in 352 games.
The Belgian also won the PFA Player of the Year award in 2015 while also winning the Premier League title twice, the UEFA Europa League twice, and the FA Cup.
He headed to Real Madrid in 2019 for a club-record €110 million but he flopped at the Bernabeu. Fitness issues took hold and he only made 76 appearances across competitions over the course of four years. He scored just seven goals and provided 12 assists.