Chelsea were never interested in bringing Eden Hazard back to the club on a free transfer this summer, according to CBS Sports’ Ben Jacobs.
The Belgian international has been linked with a move back to Stamford Bridge in recent weeks after terminating his contract with Real Madrid following a frustrating spell in Spain.
However, Jacobs has now provided an update and claims that a move to Chelsea was ‘never an option’ for the 32-year-old. The journalist says the rumour was simply fuelled by Hazard’s attendance at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea’s opening game against Liverpool.
Jacobs went on to claim that Hazard also didn’t play any role in persuading Romeo Lavia to snub Liverpool in favour of a move to Chelsea this summer.
Speaking to Caught Offside (h/t football.london) Jacobs said:
“A return to Chelsea was never an option for the 32-year-old. That rumour was fuelled by Hazard being seen at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea’s season opener against Liverpool.”
” Hazard never played a role in attracting fellow Belgian Romeo Lavia to Chelsea, but a Chelsea return was never discussed.”
Hazard is one of the best players Chelsea have had in their history. The Blues signed the 32-year-old from LOSC Lille in the summer of 2012. From day one, the forward showcased his class at Stamford Bridge.
Therefore, it was not a surprise when Real Madrid came calling. Subsequently, in 2019, Los Blancos signed Hazard in a big money move but things did not pan out for him in Spain.
Hazard is past his prime
Injuries marred Hazard’s time at Madrid and the forward never really got going at the Santiago Bernabeu. As a result, it would not be a stretch to say that he flopped in La Liga.
At the moment, Hazard is still a free agent. Despite the attacker’s unfortunate downfall over the years, he is still a Chelsea legend. The forward will go down as one of the best players in the Premier League.
In his seven years in the English top flight, Hazard won multiple titles with the Blues, including two Premier Leagues. However, the attacker is evidently way past his prime.
Mauricio Pochettino is starting a new era at Chelsea. They have signed several young players with a lot of potential. The Blues attack boasts the likes of Raheem Sterling, Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke.
Therefore, the signing of Hazard would have gone against the West London club’s transfer strategy and never really made any sense, so it’s no surprise that Jacobs has played down the reports.
