Eden Hazard, Wesley Sneijder, Alan Shearer, Dimitar Berabtov, Ronaldinho, Celio Silva… Celio Silva. Another summer, another tiresome transfer ‘saga’ in the offing as Belgian midfielder-cum-winger Hazard cock-teases his way around Europe’s major clubs, before inevitably joining “the project” over at Manchester City. It’s all about the trophies you see. And the filthy lucre.
The drawn-out transfer, negotiated in time-honoured fashion via Sky Sports News, is almost certain to conclude around midnight, 31 August, as Jim White chases the youngster through Heathrow for a final conclusive answer. And the last few headlines of the summer. By which time those viewers who have not already cranked up the oven, primed for head insertion, will surely do so. Even if its electric, rather than gas.
After all, the close-season is barely two days old, but has rapidly descended into the desperate summer search for column-filling news, football in absentia. The summer’s other entertainment – John Terry drunkenly harassing an under-age Ukrainian barmaid just hours before England’s Euro 2012 opener against France – can wait, for now.
In the meantime, Hazard is likely to command many of those headlines, having spent the season enjoying the considerable attention his irregular proclamations of love and loyalty have brought. After all he loves La Liga, and Italy, and England, and Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur, and Real Madrid, and Barcelona, and the colour blue. Everybody say, ‘eh oh’.
Remarkably, the Belgian cranked up the gossip juice even further this past weekend – the 21-year-old’s agent had seemingly let it be known that his charge would announce next season’s destination after Lille’s fixture with AS Nancy on Sunday evening. The world watched and waited, first as Hazard signed off his five-year spell at Lille with a hat-trick in the home side’s 4-1 demolition of mid-table Nancy, then as the player departed on a 15 minute lap-of-honour with toddler in tow, then as Hazard announced he would be joining….
…. nobody. Not yet, at least. World -class trolling, Eden, world-class.
“As long as I’ve not put pen to paper, I won’t say where I’m going,” the Belgian international told Canal+.
“I have not yet made my choice. Chelsea could interest me now. They’ve won the Champions League and will therefore be in it next season. It’s really important for me to be playing in that competition. Chelsea are a big club with some great players – of course it’s a possibility.
“For now, nothing’s been decided, but it will be soon I hope that by June 2 it will be clear. Now I want to join up with the national team and then go on holiday. It’ll do me a lot of good. My agent has met with Manchester and with Chelsea. They both give good offers and are both great clubs. I don’t know. It’s not been finalised yet.”
Quite which club ‘Manchester’ is wasn’t clarified.
But if Hazard took the wind-up to a new level, fans and the mainstream media have joined the fun. First, Sky Sports News reported on Monday morning that it “understands Hazard would prefer to join United” this summer. Cynics might add that the channel normally “understands” whatever is in the morning’s newspapers, gossip sites, Twitter, or is fed by agents. Or generates the most headlines, clicks and viewers. Rant couldn’t possibly comment.
Then a very well done fake ‘official’ United site fooled countless supporters on social media, before ESPN tweeted the ‘news’ as fact if only to prove the unnervingly low standards of reporting, or accountability, in rolling media.
Meanwhile, Hazard is lapping up the attention – a young man who has the world at his feet, and seemingly knows it. The 26-cap Belgian international has spent much of the past season proclaiming his love for every club, or country, in which he could potentially play next season. Talent and conceit in equal measure, some might say.
That, of course, is to say nothing of the player’s representative, firsteleven ISM, which is reportedly seeking €8 million simply to do the deal with interested parties this summer. Add Lille’s €35 million transfer fee, and wages upwards of £150,000 per week, and any deal for Hazard will necessarily be complex. It’s a fact supporters may wish to take into consideration when assessing any future headlines!
On the field Hazard’s season ended with a first League 1 hat-trick of a fledgling career, taking the youngster to 20 goals for the season. Lille missed out on Le Championnat crown though, finising third behind PSG and champions Montpellier. The player is more Cristano Ronaldo than Paul Scholes, but it is easy to envisage the player in Sir Alex Ferguson’s tactical thinking next season, with the United manager apprently after pace in midfield.
It is, of course, not quite so easy to believe that the Glazer family is genuinely prepared to invest upwards of £80 million on a single player over the length of a five-year contract.
Yet, United is apparently still an option if the mainstream media is to be believed, with Lille managing director Frederic Paquet revealing that four clubs are in the running for the player’s signature – Chelsea, City, United and, presumably, Real Madrid.
“I’m not sure he himself knows exactly where he will go, so for the moment we don’t know,” Parquet told Sky Sports News.
“From what I know I think there are maybe four teams interested in him. At this moment we don’t know. We have a very strong relationship with the player and his advisors, so we will get together and for the moment we are just waiting for him to make a choice between these four teams.”
In the meantime the headline-makers will keep on chasing viewers: proclamations of Hazard’s impending departure to City, Chelsea, Madrid and United will likely abound. Perhaps best, then, to take it all in with good humour. Especially if the player himself has anything to say.
Trolling, and Eden Hazard
(268 posts) (27 voices)-
Posted 1 year ago #
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DeadRevel
Member
Posted by unregistered user: DeadRevelI got my hopes up slightly when I saw the Sky Sports thing… to be fair they rarely say things like that if there isn’t some truth behind it.
City seem like favourites, especially for someone of his arrogance. But I suppose with the number of midfielders they have it might make him think twice. One thing he is guaranteed at United is a fucking first team place.
Posted 1 year ago # -
DeadRevel
Member Posted by unregistered user: DeadRevelHmm…. well City just won the league. Chelsea just won the CL and domestic cup. Liverpool won the LC and Barca/Madrid are the best two teams in the world.
It’s more of difference between wanting to be a passenger, or wanting to earn the trophy. The more read about him, the more I think he isn’t too fussed about history, legacy or the other David Gill-isms.
If we weren’t so desperate I’d personally tell him to fuck off.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Alfonso Bedoya
Moderator
Commenter said:
I got my hopes up slightly when I saw the Sky Sports thing… to be fair they rarely say things like that if there isn’t some truth behind it.City seem like favourites, especially for someone of his arrogance. But I suppose with the number of midfielders they have it might make him think twice. One thing he is guaranteed at United is a fucking first team place.
With Ferguson tinkering about?
Hazard could find himself 2nd choice left back.
"Badges, to god-damned hell with badges! We have no badges. In fact, we don't need badges. I don't have to show you any stinking badges, you god-damned cabrón and ching' tu madre! Come out from that shit-hole of yours. I have to speak to you."Posted 1 year ago # -
uncleknobheadffs
Member
"we tried to get hazard and kagawa before they went to city and arsenal, that proves theres money available, however we're very happy with the squad we've got and are delighted that park has decided to stay, and although a full back, clyne can certainly do a job for us in midfield, as can wayne, jones, young etc, oh yes there's no question about that"
LKHM
hoofingPosted 1 year ago # -
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Gopher Brown
Member Posted by unregistered user: Gopher BrownI don’t mind this sort of garbage being bandied around, as long as we aren’t genuinely interested in signing him, because it diverts everyone’s attention away from our actual transfer targets. Like in 2007 when Arsenal and Chelsea were supposedly battling for Nani and we all work up one morning to news that we had signed Nani and Anderson, despite nobody linking us to them.
The danger is that SAF actually IS interested in signing him and focuses all his resources into securing his signature. That really would be foolish because there is pretty much zero possibility that we’re going to sign him.
Posted 1 year ago # -
shauno
Member Posted by unregistered user: shaunoNo chance of Hazard coming to United. City will offer 40 million and pop him 160,000 a week end of discussion. City will ditch a few as well. Milner, Johnson even Richards isn’t safe. They want to take over Europe and they will. Just with a small but very expensive top quality squad fuck FFP if the UN can’t touch the Saudi’s then I can’t see UEFA doing it!
Hopefully we will get Kagawa but don’t hold your breathe Clyne could be all we get…
Posted 1 year ago # -
sheesh
Member
Interesting stuff on Darren Can's Twitter page re Hazard:
http://twitter.com/#!/darren_can
Posted 1 year ago # -
ja
Member Posted by unregistered user: janomoremoney.com has concluded its transfer business early.Capable hands Gill has snapped up marquee signing Nick Powell from Crewe after declining to get involved in an auction for anyone anyone has heard of.
Said a smirking Capable Hands “When you are the number one football brand in the world, you dont need to spend money to show you are perfectly capable of splashing the cash. Idiots will believe anything at season ticket renewal time. There is actually no value in the market, and when you think about it, re-signing Scholes, a fit again Fletcher and he can go on forever Giggs are just like 3 new signings. And if Anderson and Cleverley manage to stay fit for more than 2 games at a time, that is actually just like 5 new signings.Posted 1 year ago # -
dozer
Member
I don't see United going for Hazard being a good idea, unless his market value has to potential to go up by another 20-30m in a few years then no.
A sum like £35m should be spent on the finished article, not an upcoming talent unless that resource has the potential to go up by 30m in a few years.
Hazard doesn't seem the type who'll stay in a club for too long, he'll be like Ronaldo, looking for a change. This is fine, as long as his value goes up too, but he has to turn into some player for a club to bid £50-60m in the future.The risk is there too, injuries can reduce his throughput and value and his massive wages will still have to be paid.
Take Benzema for example, he was worth £30m when Real bought him, how much is he worth now? Not more than 30, probably less. Wasn't he a higher profile player 3 years ago than Hazard is now?
If United spend big, they should do it on the finished article. The only exception is if United see Hazard being worth 60m i.e. Rooney, Ronaldo potential. He's that good?
And we need an other winger apparently.
Sir Ryan Giggs? No no no. Sir Paul Scholes say.Posted 1 year ago # -
tom
Member Posted by unregistered user: tomTheres more chance of Roy Keane coming out of retirement to play for Utd than signing Hazard. Utd simply will not spend that kind of money on a player under the Glazer regime. I espect another winger and maybe a left back for a combined 15-20mil. We’ll hear all about the no value in the market and midfield will be made up with new signings Cleverly and Anderson.
Posted 1 year ago # -
19 and Counting
Member
uncleknobheadforfucksake said:
"we tried to get hazard and kagawa before they went to city and arsenal, that proves theres money available, however we're very happy with the squad we've got and are delighted that park has decided to stay, and although a full back, clyne can certainly do a job for us in midfield, as can wayne, jones, young etc, oh yes there's no question about that"
You may not be far off tbh.
Posted 1 year ago # -
19 and Counting
Member Commenter said:
Sky Sports still going with this story…feels like the 89th minute on the last day of the season. We were about to win the league, but it still didn’t feel real.
… and we all know how that one turned out.
Yeah I heard the chat about Hazard choosing United on 5 Live as well. You want to be optimistic and hope Hazard will not just choose the money, but you have to face reality. Whether we like it or not, Chelsea and City can spend whatever they want and get the top players while we'll be left with the scraps.
Posted 1 year ago # -
19 and Counting
Member dozer said:
I don't see United going for Hazard being a good idea, unless his market value has to potential to go up by another 20-30m in a few years then no.A sum like £35m should be spent on the finished article, not an upcoming talent unless that resource has the potential to go up by 30m in a few years.
Hazard doesn't seem the type who'll stay in a club for too long, he'll be like Ronaldo, looking for a change. This is fine, as long as his value goes up too, but he has to turn into some player for a club to bid £50-60m in the future.The risk is there too, injuries can reduce his throughput and value and his massive wages will still have to be paid.
Take Benzema for example, he was worth £30m when Real bought him, how much is he worth now? Not more than 30, probably less. Wasn't he a higher profile player 3 years ago than Hazard is now?
If United spend big, they should do it on the finished article. The only exception is if United see Hazard being worth 60m i.e. Rooney, Ronaldo potential. He's that good?
And we need an other winger apparently.
Benzema has had a great season for Real Madrid and is just overshadowed by CR's achievements. In terms of bringing in the 'finished article' who do you suggest? We can't get Schweinsteiger and we can't get Modric and we didn't want to pay for Sneijder. Who else is there? There are very few quality central MFs around these days, so when one comes along you have to go for it. I don't think we'll get Hazard but only he and Gotze are the only young players I'd pay big money for. Gotze isn't going anywhere right now so everyone will bid for Hazard. I would hope he'd look at United and realize that he'd virtually be given a starting place when he arrives; that and the tradition of the club and what it has achieved over the years. He'll likely choose City or Chelsea but it would say a lot about his character IF he chose United. We'll see - perhaps Kagawa and some young kids are as good as we could hope for.
Posted 1 year ago # -
DeadRevel
Member Posted by unregistered user: DeadRevelThe really sad part about all of this is that if we were to sign Hazard and Kagawa this summer, Vidic came back, Clevz23 was fit… we would have a really good side. & instantly one of the most promising midfields in football.
Maybe there’s a chance Fergie & the Glazers know this and are prepared to spend………..?
Posted 1 year ago #
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