Real Madrid set to bid €120m for Eden Hazard — report

Eden Hazard has all but confirmed that Wednesday’s Europa League final was his final match in Chelsea blue, telling all the post-match interviewers that yes, it was probably goodbye but no, the deal is not done yet.

The key hold-up, with Hazard’s own wishes quite clear as they have been all season, is the transfer fee between the two clubs. Chelsea have reportedly rejected two bids already and continue to hold fast at £100-130m (depending on bonuses, moon phases, currencies, etc.).

Real Madrid of course know this, but they also know that Hazard wants to leave and he has only a year left on his contract. Chelsea cannot afford (in the literal, financial sense) to not sell him if he doesn’t want to sign a new contract, which he definitely does not (or he would’ve done so already).

So, that leaves us in a bit of a standoff. Who will blink first? Probably Real Madrid. In fact, according to Jason Burt in the Telegraph, they are set to bid €120m (£106m) “in the next few days”. That’s certainly in the ballpark of Chelsea’s reported demands.

Will we accept it? Maybe. Chelsea can be tough negotiators, as former Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón recently warned as well.

“Of course Chelsea are not easy negotiators. I know that quite well because in 2007 I had a long negotiation with Peter Kenyon at the time and Roman Abramovich about Arjen Robben. He was not playing for Chelsea but despite that they said the price was £35m. At that time it was a lot of money. I tried to reduce it many times and we waited until the last minute but finally we paid it.”

-Ramón Calderón; source: Sky

You know what to do, Florentino.