Would Eden Hazard be a good fit at Arsenal?

Would Eden Hazard be a good fit at Arsenal?

By Oliver Gafsen
Arsenal's woes up front were again laid bare in Saturday's 2-1 defeat against Brighton.
Now there are reports the Gunners are planning to strengthen Arteta's attacking options with a summer swoop for Eden Hazard.
The midfielder is set for the exit after another desperately disappointing season for Real Madrid following his £105 million transfer from Chelsea in 2019, only scoring six goals in 65 appearances while failing to feature in a single Clasico.
With Arsenal's top-four ambitions hanging in the balance, what better time to look at whether the Madrid flop will be the key to an increasingly make-or-break transfer window for Mikel Arteta?

A good fit?

Chelsea alumni have poor form when it comes to Arsenal, with Petr Chech, David Luiz and Willian arguably causing more problems than they solved in their time at the Emirates.
At 31, Hazard is well past his prime, only starting seven games this season as he continues to suffer from an ankle break in 2020, needing another surgery just last week.
Wages in excess of £20 million a year will further conjure memories of the Mesut Ozil saga. 
Having toiled to clear the deadwood like Ozil, it feels like a sideways step to hinder the development of midfielders Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe in favour of the ageing star. 
But watching Arsenal's young guns fail to fire on Saturday raised questions about the forward line's experience. 
There is no doubting the Belgian skipper has plenty of that, scoring 110 goals in his seven years at Chelsea and guiding the club to two Premier League and two Europa League titles. 
Hazard has also struggled in the 4-3-3 preferred by Madrid but would be a perfect fit for Arteta's 4-2-3-1, providing the key to unlocking tight Premier League defences with the option of pushing Martinelli up front as Arsenal continue their hunt for a striker.
So, he may have his downsides, but there are clearly several reasons why signing the Belgian could prove to be a masterstroke. 

Will it happen?

Arsenal reportedly met with Hazard's representatives last week and were making 'good progress on a deal' but are now facing competition from Ivan Gazidi's AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund, where his younger brother Thorgan plays as a midfielder.
Hazard is contracted until 2024, and it is rumoured Madrid are keen on a loan move with the hope of boosting the midfielder's plummeting market value before he leaves permanently next summer.
That could backfire, though. 
If Hazard doesn't perform on loan, he could be available for even less next summer. 
So it sounds as if it is more than just paper talk, but we'll have to move quickly if we want to secure his signature. 

Verdict

A try-before-you-buy deal would be a good fit for all parties, but there's no question Hazard is an enormous gamble. 
Even if a tolerable split for his wages is agreed, Arsenal could still be paying a bench warmer big bucks, and the funds would be far better spent on a replacement for Alexandre Lacazzette. 

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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