According to a report by French publication L’Equipe, Chelsea has completed the sale of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid for a fee of $113 million, and the deal will be announced following the Europa League final.
The report states that the deal was agreed to weeks ago and has been finalized, and the Spanish club has come to an agreement on personal terms with the player and his representatives.
Hazard has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid over the past six months and appeared to say his goodbyes to Chelsea fans and staffers over the last two weeks of the Premier League season. Following the season-ending draw with Leicester City on Sunday, Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri said fans must “respect his decision” when asked about Hazard’s future. Hazard himself said on Sunday he has already made his decision and made the club aware.
The sum of money is significant given that Hazard is approaching the final season of his contract and therefore Chelsea lacked leverage in the negotiations. The Blues will hope to be able to reinvest that transfer fee to shore up some holes in the squad, but a transfer ban is looming, with the appeal process currently ongoing, leaving the status of their summer in question. Chelsea has already locked up Borussia Dortmund winger Christian Pulisic who will arrive this summer to help cushion the blow of Hazard’s likely departure.
According to the L’Equipe report, Hazard will sign a six-year deal at Real Madrid, keeping him under team control until the summer of 2025, when he will be 34 years old.
Hazard spent seven seasons at Chelsea, arriving from French club Lille in the summer of 2012. He made 351 appearances for the Blues, scoring 108 goals and assisting 91 more. He won the Premier League title twice and was named Premier League Player of the Season in the 2014/15 campaign. Hazard won the Playmaker of the Season award this season, leading the league with 15 assists.