Real Madrid star rejected Newcastle move in January despite Premier League club's willingness to offer €40 million transfer fee - Reports
According to reports, Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard rejected a move to Newcastle United in the January transfer window. The Magpies reportedly offered €40 million for the Belgian, and Los Blancos president Florentino Perez would've accepted the offer. However, the former Chelsea forward refused to join a team currently battling relegation in the Premier League.
Hazard joined Real Madrid in 2019 from Chelsea for a massive fee of around €115 million. However, his stint at the Santiago Bernabeu has been pretty underwhelming thus far.
Recurring injuries and poor form have kept him out of the team for most of his stint in the Spanish capital. Since joining Los Blancos, Hazard has made 61 appearances across competitions, scoring six goals and assisting ten.
Last night, Gareth Bale was caught laughing at Eden Hazard after the Madrid coaching staff told him to sit on the bench as he was warming up for the entire 2nd half.
Both tore the PL apart in their prime & now they're just rotting away at one of the biggest clubs in the world. https://t.co/u7frOaGMYn
According to El Nacional, the Belgian could have returned to the Premier League in January with Newcastle United, but refused the move. The Magpies are currently 19th in the league table. They made multiple signings in January, including Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes, among others.
Meanwhile, Hazard's contract with Real Madrid runs out in 2024. It seems likely that he could run down his contract before moving on from the Spanish capital. There were also reports suggesting Hazard's desire to return to Chelsea. However, the Blues made no bid for the Belgian in January.
Real Madrid need to offload players to continue their rebuild
Real Madrid are known for signing players for big money and offering big wages. However, Los Blancos are currently looking to rebuild their squad.
While Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus in 2018, they lost Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane last summer to Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United respectively. Marcelo also seems to be on his way out of the club at the end of the season.
The Spanish giants are investing in young players, having signed Eduardo Camavinga last summer. Meanwhile, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo are coming into their own as well. Los Blancos are looking to sign Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland this summer.
@Camavinga🤍 #WelcomeCamavinga 🤍
👉 @Camavinga https://t.co/qECpcYxw0F
However, Madrid are also looking to get some of their big-name stars off their wage bill. Hazard, Gareth Bale and Isco are at the top of their list. All three players have barely featured this season, making 18, three and 13 appearances this season across competitions respectively.
Be it due to injuries or poor form, neither player has been fancied much by manager Carlo Ancelotti. Hence, Los Blancos could look to offload them in the summer to bring in younger players.