Eden Hazard’s Transfer to Real Madrid Could Be Affected by Loophole in Chelsea Transfer Ban

Eden Hazard may be more likely to join Real Madrid this summer if Chelsea are able to secure a permanent deal for Mateo Kovacic before his loan expires.

Real Madrid have been strongly linked with a move for Hazard over the past few years and, as the Belgian forward has just one year left on his current deal at Stamford Bridge, the rumours are now stronger than ever before.

While nothing has been decided either way, Belgian football journalist Kristof Terreur has claimed that a loophole that would allow ?Chelsea to sign ?Kovacic before their impending transfer ban could prove pivotal in the ?Hazard saga.

“It’s a difficult one. Pure business-wise you would say, ‘you have to do this, you have to let him go’, because otherwise you lose €100m or even more. On the other hand, they can’t sign any new players,” he told Sky Sports’ Transfer Talk podcast, as per ?the Daily Star.

“They can sign one or two players that might be a key in the negotiations too.

“Kovacic, he’s still registered at Chelsea until the 30th of June, and if they reach an agreement with ?Real Madrid over Kovacic before the 30th, he is registered and they can sign him on a permanent basis although they don’t have an option – but that’s a little loophole in the law.”

Terreur also had his say on Hazard’s personal situation and suggested that the 28-year-old will be keen on making the switch over to Real Madrid as soon as possible.

Eden Hazard is among the nominees for the @PFA Fans’ Player of the Year award! ?

Get your votes in! ?

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 25, 2019

“It’s a bit unclear – as it always is with Chelsea – what is going to happen,” he said.

“But I think the player, he already wanted to go last summer after the World Cup in St Petersburg and he has given them an extra season. He has had Real Madrid fans around his head for the whole year and he still has form, too.”

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