In a statement released on Saturday, Real Madrid announced that Eden Hazard will leave the club at the end of the 2022/2023 season. This comes after four seasons plagued with injuries for the 32-year-old Belgian international.
Hazard, who was signed from Chelsea in 2019 for €115 million ($123 million), made a grand entrance to Real Madrid in front of up to 50,000 supporters at the Santiago Bernabeu. He had left his former club on a high, scoring two goals in his final match with Chelsea to help them secure the Europa League trophy.
However, since moving to Real Madrid, Hazard has struggled with constant ankle injuries, which have severely affected his performances. In 54 league appearances for the Spanish giants, he has managed to score just seven goals, including six appearances this season.
In the statement released by Real Madrid, the club expressed their best wishes to Hazard and his family for the next stage of his career. The Belgian’s departure is a part of the club’s overhaul of their current squad, which will also see Marco Asensio leave the club at the end of the season.
Asensio, who has been with Real Madrid for six years, will leave the club as a winner of the La Liga and Champions League three times each, as well as the Copa del Rey this season and with a total of 61 goals in 285 appearances. Despite being a game-changer coming off the bench, the Spanish forward struggled to establish himself as a regular starter for Real Madrid.
It remains to be seen where Hazard will continue his career after leaving the Spanish giants. For Real Madrid, the challenge is to identify a player who can fill the void left by Hazard’s departure and lead the attack alongside the likes of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior.
