FORMER Chelsea star Eden Hazard has reassured Real Madrid fans he is in ‘good condition’ following Arsene Wenger’s claim that the forward was ‘too heavy’ when he arrived in Spain.
Hazard joined the 13-time European champions in the summer for an initial £88.5million fee which will rise to £130m with add-ons.
Eden Hazard’s weight was questioned when he arrived at the Bernabeu following his move from ChelseaCredit: Getty – Contributor
But upon his arrival in Madrid, the Belgian appeared heavier than expected and many Los Blancos supporters did not take too kindly to it.
It was reported the 28-year-old was as much as a stone overweight when he linked up with his new teammates, something which became even more of an issue when he failed to perform in the Madrid derby against Atletico.
Ex-Arsenal boss Wenger also weighed in on the issue while speaking as a pundit on beIN Sports.
He said: “He is not the type of guy to be [overawed at Madrid] but I don’t know him well enough to assess that.
“I think it was more down to physical reasons. He became too heavy and what you read in the papers.
“If you want to make a horse lose a race, you put two kilos on a horse of 500kgs and it’s enough.”
Hazard has scored just once in 11 games so far for the Spanish giants, although he has provided four assists.
It is the type of slow start which has fuelled many to criticise his physical conditioning even further.
But recently he has shown signs of improvement and Hazard himself now believes he is starting to fire on all cylinders.
He told Sky Sports: “For the last month I’ve been in good condition with no injuries.
“I’m in good shape. When I’m on the pitch I will always try to do my best, with Real Madrid or Belgium. I just want to keep this momentum.”
Hazard is likely to feature against Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu on Saturday as Madrid look to keep pace with league leaders Barcelona, who are top of the table on goal difference.
70-year-old Arsene Wenger showing off his new and improved physique on the beach in DubaiCredit: The Mega Agency
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
