In a recent report, Defensa Central mentioned that Aston Villa are showing interest in Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard. It is understood that the Villans are eyeing a move to secure the services of the Belgian attacker next year.
Hazard’s Unimpressive Season In Spanish Football
Hazard has endured another difficult campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium as he has struggled to earn regular game time in La Liga. The 31-year-old has made six matches for Los Blancos this season, finding the back of the net once and securing one assist on all fronts.
The Belgian sensation has caught the eye at times as a substitute based on his average of 0.7 shots, 1.0 key passes and 0.7 dribbles per game in La Liga. He has even been excellent when distributing the ball in the opponent’s half, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 89.9% in the top tier of Spanish football (stats via whoscored).
Hazard’s current contract at the Bernabeu will run out in the summer of 2024. Hence, Aston Villa might have a good shot at landing him on the cut-price deal in January or at the end of this campaign.
Should Aston Villa Boss Unai Emergy Get Hazard On Board?
Hazard remains a decent dribbler with the ball but has lost a yard of pace from his game. He got the vision to cut open the opponent’s defence and can still score some important goals for his team when he is playing with confidence on the field. Hazard is primarily a left-sided wide player but can also function as a centre-forward or in the number ten position as an attacking midfielder if his manager tells him to do so.
However, frequent injuries have hampered his career at Real Madrid over the past few years. Maybe the Belgian player can benefit from a change of scenery next year in search of more playing opportunities in the coming seasons.
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has got the luxury to offer Hazard regular first-team starts at Villa Park. We can expect the Real Madrid outcast to add more experience and creativity to the Villans‘ attack and increase competition for places within their match-day squad.
At 31, Hazard might still have some good years left in him if he can remain injury-free over the next few years. Therefore, Emery should consider taking a gamble on him by getting him on board this January or next summer.
