I'm probably just being more hopeful rather than realistic, but could there still be one more unexpected twist in this drawn out saga. Look at what the guy is reported to have said - "I am signing for the champions league winner". Is it just me or is that still ambiguous enough to include United in the reckoning. Why not simply say 'this seasons CL winner', or why not say 'Chelsea', if he's London bound then why not come straight out with it. Could he, in fact, still be playing another game and by virtue of the reference to CL winner be ruling City out of the reckoning, rather than definitely choosing Chelsea. I'm probably wrong and will have took look on enviously as the rest of the PL bring in stellar talent while we trawl the depths of the Championship sides looking for more "youth and up-coming talent".
He's a good prospect, if we do end up signing in him then I hope he can fit into the team but he is not in my opinion a central midfielder and as such i'm not overly bothered if he goes to Chelsea as he isn't really what we need. We are well covered in his position. We need two actual bonafide CM's, a couple of full backs and a striker. Not too much to ask then!
I sincerely doubt he's giving you cryptic clues to help eliminate clubs that he will not be moving to, there's only so much whoring he can do and this would take it way too far. Plus fees have all been announced etc
Well it's confirmed now he's going to Chelsea. His handling of the announcement has been poor. Maybe he was trying to have a bit of fun or was just clumsy, but football fans notoriously have no sense of humour and are easily wound up by transfer misinformation.
He is making it very confusing. But anyone who wants a good straw to clutch should remember that thus far he has said: 1) He will be playing in red or blue next year 2) He is going to Manchester 3) He will be playing for "Champions League winners" There's only one club that fulfils all those criteria Seriously tho, it makes much more sense for him to join Chelsea ahead of Utd or City. At Utd he'd have to get past Rooney, Nani and Valencia to be first choice, at City it would be Aguero, Silva and Nasri. At Chelsea there's only really Mata who's any good in the winger / trequarista role, so he'll walk into the team. Chelsea are also ditching Kalou, Malouda, Bosingwa, Drogba and probably quite a lot more highly paid baggage, so they can give Hazard the wages he wants without wrecking their wage structure. Provided Mata, Ramires et al are happy being on less than half the wages of a 21 year old of course...
Yeah I was wondering why alot of Man Utd fans were clambering for Hazard, wingers is probably the department where you current squad is strongest tbh. So Hazard would be an odd signing for you! Like it has been pointed out we (Chelsea) are very weak in that department so would make sense for us. You need a CM, or even 2. Someone like Modric really, now that Spurs aren't in the CL and we have signed Marin and will probably be getting Hulk and Hazard, we have probably lost interest in Modric, would do a great job at Utd.
Hazard is a different animal though... he's a raw footballer like Messi Ronaldo. He can play anywhere in a forward role and cause equal damage. He's a winger by trade, as was Ronaldo when he joined Real - however he just has the skills to play anywhere. The best players are so good they don't even have defined roles, or even create them "Makele role, Messi's false no.9. With the platform Hazard will have at Chelsea he could easily become a 25 goal a season player in two or three years imo. Seems like you guys mean business this summer. Will be good to see him playing in the prem, even if it's not for United.
Hazard wants to play the number 10 role so off the striker. If United are going to play 2 up top, he doesn't really fit and you are well stocked with wingers (though I think he is better than anything either of us currently have in that department). He is ideally suited to play off Torres for us with Mata and say Marin/Ramieres wide midfield. At United I suspect he would want Ronney's role which aint gonna happen. As above, you'd be better off getting in a decent midfielder to finally replace Scholes. Schweinsteiger (sic?), Modric, Snijder etc
Surely this all depends on the next manager? If, say, Guardiola were to come in, I doubt he'd suddenly start playing a 4-2-3-1 system just to please Hazard. He might find himself in a wider role, especially if Abramovich insists Torres plays. However he's good enough to navigate his way all over the pitch. David Silva was seen as a winger until he came here, now he has a free role. Some people even label it the "David Silva Role" Hazard is good enough to play the modric role as well as his natural more advanced role. Like how Fabregas can play anywhere from deep lying to centre forward. The best players can play anywhere, and Hazard could have fitted into the systems of all three teams imo. But, even with Hazard at United we still would have needed a more physical, steely centre-mid to dominate midfield.
Exactly... People saying we already have wingers, probably would have said the same about David Silva as he was labeled a "winger" back at Valencia. Even Nasri was labeled a winger at Marseille, and he's anything but one. People are talking about Hazard as if he's a limited winger like Valencia, when he's like a combination of Valencia and Young and Nani... but better. But with his potential wages we can possibly bring in three players to United. Kagawa possibly being one.
