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Zinedine Zidane appear to launch Real Madrid interest to sign Eden Hazard from Chelsea this summer

Football

By Mirror | Apr 23, 2015

**Zinedine Zidane (R) speaks up Real Madrid interest in Eden Hazard**

Real Madrid could be set to follow a well-worn route to try and lure Eden Hazard away from Chelsea this summer.

Chelsea's Belgian superstar, the hot favourite to be crowned PFA Player of the Year on Sunday, signed a new five-and-a-half year deal in February after interest from PSG last summer.

But Zinedine Zidane, the Champions League holders' reserve team boss, has claimed he admires Hazard more than Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Frenchman said: "Obviously, there is Lionel Messi and Ronaldo, both of whom are spectacular, but I like Eden Hazard a lot too.

"I like everything he does on the field. I like his behaviour, his decisiveness and love to see his progress every year.

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"There is still scope for further progress and if Chelsea are to win the Premier League this season, Eden will have had a lot to do with it."

Zidane's comments could be seen as the start of a campaign to unsettle Hazard and tempt the 24-year-old playmaker away from Stamford Bridge this summer.

The Spaniards have lured Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Ronaldo away from the Premier League in recent years.

Although Hazard is on a massive £200,000-a-week at Chelsea, Real have the spending power to match and even surpass that amount.

Zidane spoke similarly about Gareth Bale over several months on behalf of Real two years ago before the current Champions League holders made their move that summer.

The former France international said at the time: "Aside from Ronaldo and Messi, he [Bale] is the player who has impressed me the most in the world. He is outstanding.

But Real could face a challenge for Hazard from Bayern Munich however. Only this month the German champions' superstar Franck Ribery urged the club to sign the Belgian from Chelsea.

Bayern have been linked with a move for former Chelsea sideman Kevin De Bruyne. But Ribery insisted Hazard would be a better option.

He said: He attacks all of the time. He loves to run at his opponent. But he plays for Chelsea - this could be very expensive for Chelsea."

"De Bruyne is great, when he fits the counter-attack. At Bayern, however, you only have three or four metres in front of you, not a lot of room. But he is a good player and he is still young, so he can still learn."