Blues loanee subject to €9m bid from Monchengladbach

When Thorgan Hazard came to Chelsea in summer 2012, it was widely assumed he was coming along as older brother Eden's sidekick. The generous version of the story was about helping Eden settle with the club; the cynical one was that it was an outright bribe directed the Hazard family's way. Few envisioned that the then-19-year-old, plying his trade for Lens in Ligue 2, would turn into a real prospect.

And yet that's exactly what's happened. After being loaned out to Zulte Weregem for two years, tearing up the Jupiler League in the process, Thorgan Hazard made the jump to the Bundesliga this season, and has been playing well enough for Borussia Monchengladbach that he's now the subject -- if you believe the Daily Mail, that is -- of a transfer bid of almost £9 million.

The cost of Thorgan's move from Lens remains undisclosed, but it's a safe bet that it didn't even make seven figures, and if he is indeed sold for the €9 million Gladbach are offering this represents yet another enormous profit for Chelsea on a young Belgian player. Whether or not the Blues take the offer (if it exists, of course), depends on how close they think the 21-year-old is to his peak. If he can take his form up another level in the second half, they could easily get even more for him. Another two levels? That's when we start thinking about bringing him back to Stamford Bridge for good.