He was supposed to be Real Madrid’s new Galactico signing, but Eden Hazard has proved to be anything but.
The Belgian has been plagued by injuries since moving from Chelsea, but even when he’s had the chance to impress, Hazard has flopped badly.
In fact, Los Blancos might be well advised to cut their losses on the player now, as he appears unable to change manager, Carlo Ancelotti’s mind about him.
According to El Chiringuito, cited by the Daily Express, Hazard’s absence from the starting line-up is nothing to do with picking up another injury.
“Hazard has stopped being given minutes because of his poor attitude and lack of professionalism,” El Chiringuito presenter, Edu Aguirre, noted.
“The coaches at Madrid have almost given up on him.”
The issue for Los Blancos is who they can find that will not only take a player with a wretched recent injury history, but will also pay the asking price.
Cash-rich Newcastle might be a potential new employer, but whether Hazard would go there is debatable at this point.
A move back to Chelsea is likely to be a non-starter too, given how well the Blues are doing in his absence.
On his day, Hazard still has all of the skills that made him one of European football’s most feared attackers, however, he is a huge risk at present and any club will need to have the courage of their convictions if they want to add him to their roster.