Barcelona prioritise Eden Hazard as main summer signing
The Belgian star is seen as the signing Barcelona need to take them to the next level.
According to Sport, Hazard is the main transfer target for Barcelona because the club believe he can help take them to the next level, which would include winning the Champions League, after a domestic double last season. Andres Iniesta’s departure and the failure to sign Antoine Griezmann means that the club intends to bring in another star to deal with this.
The 27-year-old is reaching a key stage of his career because his talent means that he could play for one of the European giants. He’s had success with Chelsea, but Barcelona and Real Madrid can offer a much more realistic chance of winning the Champions League. Hazard needs to move now, when he’s starting to reach his peak, in order to make the most of his ability.
His performances for Belgium at the World Cup showcased his talent on the world stage. He was comfortably Belgium’s best player even though they have a talented squad containing players such as Romelu Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne. Against France, he looked the likeliest to pull his team back level after they conceded early in the second half.
More from FC Barcelona News
- Barça boss Xavi to get contract extension
- FC Barcelona planning swoop for Arsenal midfielder
- FC Barcelona tracking 20-year-old goal machine
- Lamine Yamal’s involvement causing tension at FC Barcelona
- How can Xavi unlock Joao Felix for FC Barcelona?
Chelsea’s current situation is unlikely to fill him with confidence for their chances of winning silverware in the immediate future. Maurizio Sarri is the intended replacement for Antonio Conte, but various issues have delayed that with Conte still in charge. They also won’t be in the Champions League due to finishing fifth in the league last season.
It’s likely that he could be convinced to move, but the main issue is whether Real Madrid become involved. The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo means they can offer him a starring role as well as high wages to go with that. This could derail any Barcelona move, so they need to move quickly while Los Blancos are still reeling from their star man leaving.
Where would he fit in?
Hazard is versatile because he can play on the left, as a central playmaker or in a free role. However, he wouldn’t be chief playmaker for the Catalans due to Lionel Messi filling that role, so it’s likely that he would play as the left forward. Therefore, a switch back to the 4-3-3 would be the best move.
His arrival would provide Ernesto Valverde with the flexibility of either playing Messi in his traditional role on the right or as a ‘false 9’. He was used in the second role a number of times last season, but it didn’t suit some of the other players such as Luis Suarez who struggled as a wide forward.
Having Messi in the centre means that Hazard and Dembele could play either side of him, with the Belgian making lateral runs into the space that is vacated by the Argentine when he drops deep.
In a more traditional set-up, Hazard would take some of the responsibility off Messi by dropping deep to help the team progress up the pitch. His supreme dribbling ability makes him almost impossible to tackle and naturally draws players towards him which helps destabilise their defensive shape. It also means that there would be more balance to Barcelona’s play because the left flank could be utilised a lot more due to Hazard’s playmaking ability.
Next: Barcelona agree personal terms with Adrien Rabiot
Hazard has shown himself to be a selfless player with the result more important than individual achievements for him. Therefore, he would be a good fit for the club and could form a strong understanding with Messi. There are other areas in the squad that need upgrading such as central midfield, but this would still be an excellent signing.