Chelsea could get the opportunity to bring Eden Hazard back to Stamford Bridge without paying a transfer fee.
Hazard has struggled since his big-money transfer to Real Madrid in 2019, failing to replicate the form he managed in West London.
Initially, the Belgian struggled with injuries over the course of his first 18 months at the Santiago Bernabeu.
But for much of this season, he managed to stay fit, only to be overlooked by Carlo Ancelotti due to poor form.
Last week, however, he suffered a fresh fitness blow, now likely to miss the rest of the season due to osteoporosis from a previous operation.
As a result, Hazard will need a plate removed and the healing time for that operation will be around six weeks.
Los Blancos know they are not going to get any kind of decent fee for the 31-year-old this summer, and according to Diario AS via Football Espana, their new plan is to send him on loan.
The idea is to loan Hazard out next season to a club that will give him regular minutes in the hope he rediscovers his best form ahead of being sold for an improved fee.
The forward’s wages could be an issue, but if a club is willing to pay a big chunk of them, they could get their hands on Hazard for next season.
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Whether there would be a loan fee involved is not mentioned in the report, but the more the contribution towards the wages, the less likely it is that there will be a significant loan fee involved.
Hazard was recently linked as a possible target for his old club Chelsea by Goal, and there’s no doubt the Blues would surely relish bringing this club legend back as an upgrade on inconsistent performers like Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic.
Hazard’s struggles in Madrid are a concern, but a loan deal would make this a lower risk for Chelsea if they do decide they’d be ready to bring their former hero back for a second spell.