EDEN HAZARD is now Real Madrid’s most expensive player ever after triggering add-ons to overtake Gareth Bale’s £86million move from Tottenham in 2013.
The Belgian penned a five-year deal with Los Blancos when he joined from Chelsea in 2019.
Madrid pledged to pay the Blues a similar fee for Hazard that they paid for Bale, with potential add-ons possibly taking the fee as high as £142m.
Due to his underwhelming time at Santiago Bernabeu he has not hit all of the clauses.
But as he intends to stay until the end of his contract, The Athletic revealed that his fee has comfortably surpassed the £86m paid for Bale.
Hazard has not played for Carlo Ancelotti’s side in over two months.
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And he hasn’t featured in a LaLiga match since September.
Despite his lack of game time, Hazard reportedly made clear in meetings with the club last month that he intends to stay and honour his contract.
The 126-cap star is the highest-paid player at Real Madrid, and has settled well in the Spanish capital.
His son Leo, 10, has even joined the club’s academy.
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Hazard wants to stay in Madrid, despite being upset by the club’s repeated attempts to sell him dating back two years.
It’s claimed that he is a popular dressing room figure, although many of his team-mates don’t believe that he can contribute much on the pitch any longer – having been dogged by injuries in recent seasons.
He has largely been available this term, but shunned by boss Ancelotti – with whom his relationship is believed to be strained.
Hazard has been an unused substitute 18 times in LaLiga this term.
His most recent appearance came on January 3, when he played 67 minutes against fourth-tier Cacereno in the Copa del Rey.
He last played in LaLiga on September 11 in a 4-1 win over RCD Mallorca.
In total he has made seven appearances this season, scoring once – in a Champions League victory over Celtic.
He has played just 73 times in nearly four years since leaving Chelsea, scoring only seven times.
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Asked about his No7 last week, Ancelotti said: “Hazard is fine. He is training and he wants to have minutes. He can have them in the next games.”
Hazard has been an unused substitute in the two matches that have followed.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
