Real Madrid to offer Bale for Chelsea star Hazard

Bengaluru, March 18: La Liga giants Real Madrid are prepared to swap Gareth Bale for Chelsea star Eden Hazard if reports in Spain are to be believed.

Reports in Spain claim newly reappointed Zinedine Zidane is ready to part ways with the Welshman in order to bring long-term target Hazard to the Bernabeu.

Bale returned to the starting XI for Saturday’s 2-0 win over Celta Vigo, Zidane’s first game since his incredible Real comeback. But the legendary Frenchman is apparently unsure if Bale has a future in the Spanish capital, with Manchester City's Raheem Sterling said to be a major target.

Zidane would also love to sign Hazard from Chelsea, with the winger set to enter the final year of his contract.

Hazard is long admired by Zidane and it is also a public knowledge that Hazard idolises the legendary French World Cup winner. And it seems a swap deal could be on the cards even though it is believed that Bale is unlikely to return to the Premier League due to his mammoth £650,000-a-week wages.

The source said: “To get the best out of Bale, Zidane is going to have to put an arm around his shoulder. But the first option will be to try and sell him.

“But it won’t be easy because he earns about 12million euros net and Real Madrid probably want around 75m euros to sell.

“He’s going to be 30 in July, so Man United may think twice about putting that kind of money in the direction of Real and Bale.

“If Chelsea had the possibility of signing Bale it would be a swap with Hazard and I expect all that to appear in the equation. But I feel Bale doesn’t want to leave.”

Chelsea, on the other hand, are hit by a transfer ban for the next two windows and reports in England are emerging that the Blues are willing to let Hazard leave for free in the summer of 2020 even if it means a huge financial loss considering that he could bring them around 100m this summer if not more.