Arsenal given glorious chance to sign Real Madrid man who doesn’t even speak to Ancelotti, as decision on future made

Eden Hazard has provided a rather confusing update on his Real Madrid future amid rumours of a potential move to Arsenal.

Hazard was on the books of Arsenal’s London rivals Chelsea between 2012 and 2019. During his seven-year spell at Stamford Bridge, the winger established himself as one of the best attackers in the world.

He bagged 110 goals in 352 Chelsea appearances, helping the Blues to win big trophies such as the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup.

Hazard left Chelsea when Real came calling. The Spanish giants paid an initial £89million to sign him, but the deal had the potential to be worth a whopping £150m through bonuses and other conditions. After his Chelsea exit went through, Hazard said he only would have left the club for Real due to his love for the La Liga side.

The Belgian has not been able to replicate his stunning Chelsea form in a Real shirt, however. Persistent injury problems have limited him to just 73 appearances across three and a half seasons with Los Blancos. And he has only scored seven times for them.

Hazard is behind the likes of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Marco Asensio and Fede Valverde when it comes to playing in one of the wide spots either side of Karim Benzema. He has not featured in La Liga since September, which shows how disappointing his season has been.

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Arsenal were looking into signing Hazard in the January transfer window to bolster their attacking options. While the 32-year-old is not on top form, he could still make an impact in the Premier League given his extensive experience in England.

Arsenal did not end up signing Hazard, although it is likely they are still tracking his situation ahead of a potential summer move. Fabrizio Romano recently gave them a boost by stating that the ‘feeling internally’ at Real is that Hazard will depart the Bernabeu this summer.

Eden Hazard discusses future amid Arsenal links

Arsenal should be able to get him for a reduced price due to his poor spell at Real and the fact his contract expires in June 2024.

The player has now addressed his current situation and his future during an interview with Belgian source RTBF Sport, which has been summarised by Romano.

Hazard has given the Gunners even more hope about completing a deal by revealing how poor his relationship with Ancelotti is. The star said: “For me, I will still be at Real Madrid next season — but you never know.

“Me and Ancelotti? There is respect but we don’t talk to each other.

“I miss playing football. I want to play. I want to have fun.”

Despite suggesting he could leave Real, Hazard then said that his final decision is to stay put.

“I would like to stay at Real Madrid. I’ve always said it. I hope to play to show that I can still do it,” he added.

“People have doubts, but for me, I’m still here next year. I hope I can play for Real Madrid again.”

It seems Hazard wants to see out the remainder of his Real contract and enjoy a good final season before potentially moving on.

But Real might not give him that opportunity. They are likely fed up with his struggles and could therefore sell him later this year. Arsenal will be on hand to snap him up in a cut-price deal, should a Real exit be decided.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are confident of signing their top transfer target ahead of Chelsea this summer, according to reports.