Category Uncategorized

Bayern Munich are no longer interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen and Germany defender Jonathan Tah this summer despite an earlier agreement.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Bayern won't sign Tah this summerHad an agreement with Leverkusen starBayern management opposed transferWHAT HAPPENED?

The Bavarian club were linked with a move for the German national team defender for a long time and he was reported to be eager to make the move, even deciding against committing to a new deal with Leverkusen. However, claims that Bayern are no longer keen on signing the player and the deal is off.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

earlier reported that the reigning Bundesliga champions set a deadline for the transfer and if they did not receive an offer by the weekend, Tah would have to stay at his current club. However, the deal will now no longer take place after a section of the Bayern management opposed the transfer.

DID YOU KNOW?

The 28-year-old centre-back, who has made more than 350 appearances for Leverkusen since 2015, was an important member of Xabi Alonso's team that won the historic league title last season.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR JONATHAN?

The former Hamburger player has only a year left in his current contract and has reportedly refused to put pen to paper on a deal. Leverkusen may still aim to sell the player soon as they are would rather not see him leave for free in 2025.

Afghanistan T20I series also shelved as Cricket Ireland deals with “financial headwinds”

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2019

Ireland hosted their first and only Test at Malahide in 2018•PA Photos

Ireland have ditched their planned home Test for the summer of 2020 against Bangladesh, as well as a T20I series against Afghanistan, with Warren Deutrom issuing a warning about the “financial headwinds” faced by the board since promotion to Full Member status in 2017.Bangladesh had been due to play only the second Test match in Ireland, following a memorable debut against Pakistan in Malahide in 2018, but that fixture has now been converted to a T20I. With the expected cost of hosting a Test estimated at €1 million (US$ 1.14 million approx.), Cricket Ireland has chosen to prioritise white-ball cricket ahead of consecutive T20 World Cups, in 2020 and 2021, and the start of qualification for the 2023 50-over World Cup.Deutrom, Cricket Ireland’s chief executive, said that Ireland had suffered a shortfall in their expected funding allocation from the ICC, and had been required to make “tough decisions” about their commitments for 2020. The high cost of insuring home games and assembling temporary infrastructure at grounds such as Malahide, as well as the postponement of the 2019 Euro T20 Slam, have contributed to the board’s straitened financial circumstances.”The first area of prioritisation for 2020, has been white ball cricket over red ball,” Deutrom said in a statement on the Cricket Ireland website. “Like all Irish cricket fans, we would love nothing more than to be competing on all three fronts – Tests, ODIs and T20Is. Unfortunately, our financial constraints have led us to cut the home Test match next year.”As the Test does not form part of the World Test Championship, the one-off match lacks context. For effectively a ‘friendly’, the expected costs for hosting the Test would be over €1 million, with little expectation of creating revenue streams to cover the costs of hosting.”In addition to limited-overs series against Bangladesh and New Zealand in the first part of the summer, Ireland will host Pakistan for two T20Is ahead of their tour of England. But the proposed visit of Afghanistan has been shelved.”Those tough decisions also include having to prioritise some white-ball cricket over others,” Deutrom said. “With Bangladesh and NZ coming over for important ODIs, it makes sense to extend their tours with complementary T20Is. Similarly, Pakistan is the No. 1 T20I team in the world and have proven popular visitors here over the years.”However, we have notified the Afghanistan Cricket Board that we shall not be in a position to host them for the five planned T20Is in 2020. We have been regular and frequent opponents of the Afghans every year for a long time now, and we shall be again in future. However, needs must at this juncture to ensure we are operating as a responsible governing body operating within our means.”The ODIs and remaining T20Is next year both have greater context and direct connections to two upcoming World Cups. The T20Is will form essential match play experience leading into the T20 World Cup in October, while the ODIs will become important with the start of the new World Cup Super League next year, which is the next 50-over World Cup’s qualification process. This will mean that in 2020, three of the Bangladesh ODIs and the three New Zealand ODIs next year directly count towards world cup qualification.”Plans to host New Zealand in Bready, which made its debut as an ODI venue last year, have reportedly been put on hold too – although Deutrom said that Cricket Ireland is “still working on finalising” its match allocation for 2020. Malahide and Stormont are likely to see the bulk of Ireland’s international schedule, with the Clontarf ground in Dublin out of action due to renovation work.Deutrom also indicated that Ireland were reliant on changes being made to the ICC’s funding model from 2023. Although Cricket Ireland is still hopeful of a funding boost from the Euro T20 Slam – a joint venture with Cricket Scotland and the Netherlands’ KNCB that was put back until 2020 – he said that “significant investment in permanent infrastructure” was required before regular Test cricket could become a reality.”The ICC have been supportive in giving us this opportunity, but the reality to date has been Cricket Ireland dealing with significant financial challenges,” Deutrom said. “The costs associated with delivering to Full Membership standards and fulfilling a much greater number of international fixtures each year has not been matched by expected revenues and a number of key unforeseen financial blows.”With an allocation amounting to less than half of that of Zimbabwe, our expected revenues from the ICC funding model for Full Members have not been realised. Although we generate a higher percentage of our own income outside of ICC funding than a number of more-established nations, the fact is that it is insufficient to help us transition smoothly to our current status.”

West Bromwich Albion will be very content with how their Championship season is currently unfolding, sitting comfortably in a playoff spot with confidence sky-high for a trip to Millwall today.

Carlos Corberan and Co will want to taste promotion success now having turned into a side in no danger of dropping out of the top six positions, knowing that will be obviously far more difficult than it sounds on paper.

Yet, slipping up and succumbing to a couple of defeats on the spin could sap the feel-good factor at the Hawthorns on the contrary with one defender in danger of dropping out after an underwhelming display against Bristol City last time out.

The Baggies might well have won 2-0 come the full-time whistle, but the player in question's poor 45 minutes against the Robins means he could face the axe by Corberan today.

Erik Pieters' performance vs Bristol City in numbers

Erik Pieters' shaky 45 minutes against the Robins didn't end up costing his side dear, but the West Brom manager will be cautious to start the former Burnley man again after such an off performance.

The versatile Dutch defender has been reliably filling in when other members of the back four at the West Midlands club have been sidelined, making 22 Championship appearances to date this campaign.

He might not be able to add a 23rd appearance to his season tally at the Den, however, having failed to put in a single tackle in the first half against Liam Manning's men in a timid showing from the 35-year-old.

The former Clarets man would also only win one duel from his torrid 45-minute spell at the Hawthorns, with his replacement at half-time now in line to start over him against Millwall.

Kyle Bartley has been nursing various different injury knocks, but Corberan will be tempted to throw in the former Arsenal man into the heart of defence from the start against the Lions to then ditch Pieters in the process.

The player who could replace Erik Pieters

Labelled as being an "incredible" talent by ex-Baggies centre-forward Kevin Campbell when Corberan first emerged onto the scene as boss, which saw Bartley breathe life back into his stuttering West Brom career, it's a no-brainer to bring the experienced head back into defence today.

The 32-year-old had been a colossus in defence before picking up a recent injury issue, scoring three goals from the back whilst also ensuring Alex Palmer has 16 clean sheets next to his name behind him with imperious displays.

Bartley's 75-minute display in West Brom's 4-1 win over Huddersfield Town earlier in March is reason enough to reinstate the centre-back into the lineup, with the towering Baggies figure bundling in an all-important goal to make it 2-1 on the day.

It wasn't just this crucial strike that saw Bartley receive plaudits off the back of this comprehensive win, with the 6 foot 1 defender battling away at the back to help his team pick up a fantastic victory on the road.

Making seven clearances and winning five duels, Bartley standing firm when the Terriers attacked with the purpose in the first 45 minutes then gave his side the platform to overwhelm their hosts in the following one-sided half.

Minutes played

75

Goals

1

Touches

67

Accurate passes

49/54 (91%)

Duels won

5/6

Clearances

7

If West Brom are to shut out Millwall for the full 90 minutes, they'd do far worse than calling upon Bartley to take Pieters' spot in a change that could see the Baggies pick up another win in the division.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Liverpool have been handed a chance to bolster their defensive ranks this summer after it emerged that they are keeping tabs on a standout star whose club are facing FFP peril.

Liverpool confirm Richard Hughes as new sporting director

It is shaping up to be a fascinating final few months of the campaign for Liverpool, but fans will already have one eye firmly on the summer. Though they have already scooped the Carabao Cup this season and are in the running for both the Premier League and Europa League, they were rocked earlier in the season by the news that Jurgen Klopp would be leaving after nine years at the helm.

Liverpool man holding meetings to pick next club after exit decision made

He is planning to use the two-week international break to weigh up his options.

ByBen Browning Mar 16, 2024

During that time, he has taken the Reds from a fading giant to one of the Premier League's major heavyweights once more, bringing memorable moments and serious success to Anfield. His departure, and that of his assistant Pep Lijnders, is set to come as a massive blow to the club. However, it will also coincide with yet more change as Michael Edwards takes charge as the new CEO of the club, with Richard Hughes announced as the new sporting director.

And there will be surgery on the pitch too. As it stands, several players are out of contract at the end of the campaign and it is expected that both Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip will leave as free agents, so Hughes will be looking to get busy straight away.

Liverpool eyeing up "outstanding" star

Now, reliable journalist Sami Mokbel has revealed that the Reds are one of several clubs keeping tabs on impressive Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, with Forest potentially under pressure this summer either from relegation or from need to comply with financial fair play, which they have already been docked four points for breaching.

One of their major assets is Murillo, who has been excellent since his summer arrival from Corinthians and has earned plenty of high praise.

Speaking on standout centre-backs across the 2023/24 season, ex-Liverpool star Jamie Carragher highlighted both Murillo and Jarrad Branthwaite as those that have have impressed him this campaign, hailing the Nottingham Forest man as "outstanding".

“I remember being a young lad going in myself at Liverpool and it’s an unforgiving position, I had to go to full-back for the next three or four years and then go back to centre-back, so you can see the quality we have. Branthwaite has been outstanding, Murillo I think has been outstanding too.”

The report claims that the Reds have been joined by Premier League trio Manchester City, Arsenal and Newcastle United in their admiration of the young defender, as well as European giants PSG and Barcelona.

With Matip set to leave the club and Van Dijk turning 33 years old before the new season, there is need for new blood in the heart of defence at Anfield sooner rather than later, with options thin on the ground.

Liverpool's centre back options

Player

Contract ends

Virgil Van Dijk

2025

Ibrahima Konate

2026

Jarell Quansah

N/A

Joe Gomez

2027

Though it has previously been claimed that Forest would hold out for a record fee for Murillo, circumstance may change that, and could spark an almighty tussle for his signature this summer.

Wolverhampton Wanderers moved further up the Premier League table as they came away with a 2-1 win over Fulham at the Molineux on Saturday.

Gary O'Neil's side bounced back from their 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Newcastle United at St. James' Park to secure all three points against Marco Silva's side this weekend.

The former Bournemouth head coach has done a remarkable job since his arrival last summer, and deserves plenty of credit for getting the team firing this season.

It has been particularly impressive when you consider the context, as Wolves cashed in on a number of first-team stars during the summer transfer window to ease financial fair play concerns.

Matheus Nunes, Conor Coady, Raul Jimenez, Ruben Neves, Nathan Collins, and Ryan Giles were all sold, yet O'Neil has the side in eighth after 28 matches.

Not all of those players have gone on to be successful with their new clubs, though, as Collins, in particular, has struggled since his exit from Wolves, with his value dropping below Max Kilman's.

Nathan Collins' Wolves career in numbers

In the summer of 2022, the club decided to swoop to sign the Irish central defender from Burnley for a reported fee of £20.5m, as Bruno Lage's first signing of the window.

They took advantage of the Clarets' relegation down to the Championship to secure his services, in an attempt to bolster their defensive options.

The 22-year-old titan went on to enjoy a solid, if unspectacular, campaign under Lage and Julen Lopetegui at the heart of the Wolves defence, as they avoided the drop from the Premier League to the second tier.

Collins featured in 26 top-flight matches for the Old Gold but was only selected as a starter in 19 of those games, as he failed to nail down a guaranteed spot in the first XI.

He was unable to stand out as one of the team's top performers from a defensive perspective. The central defender ranked 12th within the squad for tackles (1.0) and fourth for interceptions (0.8) per game respectively, along with being 16th for average WhoScored rating (6.48).

His play in possession was equally as average. Collins ranked within the top 49% of Premier League centre-backs for progressive passes (3.18) per 90, and the top 43% for progressive carries (0.55) per 90.

This suggests that the Wolves titan was not an outstanding operator on the ball when it came to progressing play for his side. However, he was not below average in that regard either.

As you can see in the chart above, the Irish enforcer rarely made defensive errors, as he ranked within the top 17% of his positional peers for errors per 90.

Collins also managed to win the majority (55%) of his duels in the Premier League and did not make a single error that directly led to a goal for the opposition.

Overall, it was a respectable but unimpressive campaign with the club for the centre-back, which made it somewhat of a surprise when Brentford decided to splash the cash on him last summer.

Nathan Collins' Brentford career in numbers

Thomas Frank's side moved to sign the Ireland international from Wolves for a reported fee of £23m ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, which represented a £2.5m profit for the Old Gold on the £20.5m they paid Burnley for his signature just 12 months prior.

As it stands, it appears as though Brentford have had a howler with that transfer as Collins has endured a rough debut season with the Bees so far, which suggests that O'Neil's team played a blinder with their decision to part ways with him.

The 22-year-old defender has featured in 22 Premier League matches – starting 20 – this term but has struggled badly in and out of possession, which has led to his market value dropping – now lower than Kilman's.

Football Transfers currently has his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at £19.7m, which is the lowest it has been since before his move to Wolves from Burnley in 2022.

Progressive passes (3.42)

Bottom 47%

Progressive carries (0.29)

Bottom 16%

Pass accuracy (82%)

Bottom 39%

Shot-creating actions (0.78)

Bottom 37%

As you can see in the table above, the Brentford flop has been well below average in a number of important possession-based statistics, as he has rarely progressed the play or created dangerous attacks for his team.

Collins has also struggled defensively with a staggering four errors that have directly led to goals for the opposition in the Premier League – four more than he managed for Wolves last term.

In fact, he ranks within the bottom 4% of top-flight centre-backs for errors (0.20) per 90, which illustrates how much of a defensive liability the giant has been for the Bees.

Max Kilman's current market value

Whilst Collins has been struggling with Brentford, Kilman has been in colossal form for Wolves at the heart of O'Neil's defence in the Premier League this season.

At the time of writing (10/03/2024), Football Transfers has his current xTV at £22m, which is up from the £19.3m he was valued at in July of last year. This means that he is currently valued higher than his former central defensive teammate, when the opposite was true last July when the Irishman joined Brentford for £23m.

The English brute has started all 28 of his team's top-flight matches this season and provided a consistent, solid, presence at the back for the Old Gold.

Appearances

22

28

Sofascore rating

6.80

7.03

Ball recoveries per game

4.5

4.9

Aerial duel success rate

67%

73%

Errors leading to goals

Four

Zero

As you can see in the table above, Kilman has outperformed the former Wolves defender in a number of key statistics, with four fewer errors (zero) in six more appearances in the Premier League.

The left-footed colossus has been aerially dominant against opposition forwards and recovered the ball more frequently for his side, which suggests that the 26-year-old ace has been the better of the two players this season.

That is reflected in their contrasting fluctuations in value since last summer, which also shows that Wolves had a blinder by selling Collins to Brentford for £23m as he has flopped with Frank's side so far.

Sergio Ramos has admitted that he "loves" the US but has stopped short of committing to a move to MLS after leaving Sevilla.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Ramos left Sevilla at the end of the campaignDefender is now a free agentHas received enquiriesWHAT HAPPENED?

Ramos once again finds himself at a career crossroads. After making a celebrated return to Sevilla, the club where his professional journey began in 2004, he is leaving as a free agent as the reunion, anticipated by many to be a long-term homecoming, lasted just a single season. Sevilla confirmed on Monday that the 38-year-old legend would be moving on, sparking widespread speculation about his next destination.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

As Ramos navigates the next steps in his illustrious career, the U.S. has emerged as a potential destination. has been linked with both Inter Miami and the new MLS expansion team, San Diego FC, which is set to debut in 2025.

WHAT RAMOS SAID

"The U.S. is a country that I love," he admitted. "But there are other things when it comes to evaluating my career. What I know is that it is not finished and I have one, two or three more years left. I don't know if my career will take me to the west or the east (Saudi Arabia)."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Reflecting on his stint with Sevilla, Ramos explained that deeply personal reasons drove his decision to rejoin the Andalusian side. "I re-signed to pay tribute to Antonio Puerta, Jose Antonio Reyes, my grandfather, and my father, who had the dream of seeing me back at Sevilla," Ramos said.

"The contract said one year and I think I’ve earned the right to choose. I show my face and never leave if the ship sinks. I embarked on this project because it was a matter of feeling and heart and not money. I would like to be remembered with the good performance I have given this season. Anyone who doubts my love for Sevilla has been missing for the last year."

It's been a quiet transfer window for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City as they try to chase down Liverpool in the Premier League title race. The reigning champions have sealed a £12.5m deal for young River Plate midfielder Claudio Echeverri, but he'll be remaining in Argentina for the entirety of 2024 before he lands at the Etihad, so they won't feel the immediate impact of that move.

Now, it looks like City are about to do another deal, this time within the City Football Group (CFG), for a player who can slot straight into the upper echelons of their academy.

Tibidi making City move

According to French outlet RMC Sport, Man City are signing Alexis Tibidi on loan from French second-division Troyes, who are of course part of the CFG, and an announcement is imminent. The report acknowledges that the move is a "surprise", particularly after previous loan club NEC Nijmegen expressed concerns over the player's "investment".

However, City are hopeful the player will benefit from a temporary stint at the Etihad where he will have the opportunity to train with the first-team on occasion, under the tutelage of Guardiola himself, and play for the under-21s.

Tibidi can get back on track at City

It was only 12 months ago that Tibidi joined the CFG with Troyes, signing from Stuttgart in a €2.3m transfer. He'd played 13 games during his stint with the German club but found most success on loan in Austria with Altach, where he scored five goals in 16 matches.

In the second half of last season, the winger hardly featured for his new club, notching just 72 minutes over the course of three substitute appearances in Ligue 1. Tellingly, he played more than double that number for the B-team (153).

Man City seriously eyeing 'magician' as Begiristain told to pay club-record fee

The player is secretly open to a move, but it will take an enormous outlay.

By
David Comerford

Jan 20, 2024

That's where the loan to the Netherlands came in. The goal was to get him playing consistent first-team football in order to further his development, but partly because of the aforementioned dissatisfaction with his attitude, he didn't feature at all.

That prompted Troyes to recall him at the end of the year, and now City have intervened in the hope of getting his career back on track. This is a player who was regarded as a "top talent" when he joined Troyes and, at 20, he still has time on his side. The opportunity to work with Guardiola from time to time and take part in some of the highest-level training sessions in world football could be invaluable.

City could also use the help for their under-21 side. After romping to the Premier League 2 Division 1 title by 13 points last year, they've tumbled all the way down to the bottom of the 26-team table this term, having collected just six points from their 11 games. The hope will be that adding a player who already has decent experience of the senior game will be a lift to those struggling academy talents too.

Seamers take seven wickets in extended post-lunch session as Durham stay in hunt for promotion

ECB Reporters Network10-Jul-2019Durham’s seamers took seven wickets in an extended post-lunch session on the final day of their Specsavers County Championship match at the Fischer County Ground to clinch their third win in five matches and put themselves squarely in the hunt for one of the three Division Two promotion places on offer this season.Despite being dismissed for just 117 in the first innings, they defeated Leicestershire by 119 runs after seamer Ben Raine took 5 for 47 against his former county, who were bowled out for 273 in pursuit of an unlikely target of 393.Leicestershire’s in-form opener Hassan Azad and Mark Cosgrove made half-centuries but after an 81-run stand between the pair was broken soon after lunch, Raine and fellow seamers Nathan Rimmington and Chris Rushworth took the last six wickets for 63 runs.Leicestershire, who drop to the bottom of the table, had been 160 for 3 at lunch, recovering from the setback of losing nightwatchman Chris Wright and new batsman Neil Dexter to Raine in quick succession to remain in with a chance.But they could advance the total by only another 18 runs in the afternoon session before Azad was drawn into playing a ball outside off stump and Ned Eckersley – another ex-Leicestershire player – took the catch behind the stumps, giving Raine a third success.Cosgrove was striking the ball well enough to keep Leicestershire hopeful, a flourishing cover drive off Nathan Rimmington bringing up his half-century via his eighth boundary.Moments earlier, however, Leicestershire had suffered another blow when Colin Ackermann was taken low down at slip by Cameron Bancroft as he bottom-edged a wide delivery from Rimmington, the batsman seeking confirmation that the ball had carried before walking off.That left Leicestershire 210 for 5. Cosgrove and new batsman Harry Dearden continued to push the score along but when Rushworth returned to the attack at the pavilion end, Cosgrove was out to his fourth delivery, chopping the ball onto his stumps as he tried to cut it away.Now six down for 234, still 158 in arrears, Leicestershire were battling to save a draw rather than chasing a win, more so when Lewis Hill was pinned in front by Rimmington with only one addition to the score.Hill was the eighth man out on what would have been the stroke of tea when he was leg before to Rimmington but Durham skipper Bancroft asked the umpires to allow play to continue, the officials being at liberty to delay the interval by four overs or 15 minutes if they believe a result can be obtained in that time.In the event, it was enough for Rushworth to induce Gareth Griffiths to edge behind and for Raine to claim his fifth wicket when Mohammad Abbas was snapped up by Graham Clark at first slip.

Lionel Messi's chances of playing with Marco Reus at Inter Miami may be over due to FC Charlotte links and a key Major League Soccer rule.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Reus leaving Borussia Dortmund
• Linked with move to Messi's Miami
• Key MLS rule puts pay to that deal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Following Reus' announcement that he was leaving Dortmund after more than 12 years, the 34-year-old was linked with a move to MLS side Inter Miami. However, The Athletic claims Charlotte are in talks to sign the veteran and the fact they have his discovery rights means they have 'top priority' to sign him. The report adds that if Reus were to sign for another MLS team, which is 'unlikely to be cheap', that club would have to acquire his discovery rights from Charlotte.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A link up between Messi and Reus would have been a sight to behold but the Dortmund icon could head to an MLS rival in the coming weeks or months. While the two old-timers may not be team-mates, having Reus in the league is only likely to help grow the division.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  In MLS, players who are not currently attached to any team must go through the discovery process for signing. This process involves each MLS team maintaining a specific list known as the "discovery list." On this list, teams can designate up to seven players for whom they have priority rights to sign ahead of other MLS teams. MLS roster regulations state that when another club expresses interest in a player on a team's discovery list and offers $50,000 in general allocation money for the player's discovery rights, the team in possession of the player's rights must respond promptly. They are required to make a "genuine, objectively reasonable offer" to retain the player on their discovery list within a three-day timeframe.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• USA Today Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  While talks continue over Reus' future, Messi's Miami side take on Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night. They currently sit top of the Eastern Conference by one point, but second-placed Cincinnati have a game in hand.

Chelsea are set to receive £5 million from Real Madrid thanks to Eden Hazard, despite the Belgian confirming his retirement back in October.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Belgian joined Real Madrid in 2019
• Retired in October at age 32
• But Los Blancos contract still valid

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As reported by The Telegraph, Los Blancos' qualification for this year's Champions League final has triggered another add-on in the deal which saw Hazard leave Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2019. While the 33-year-old and Real mutually agreed to terminate the five-year contract early, the terms remain valid – much to the delight of those at Stamford Bridge.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Like many clubs, Chelsea are aiming to comply with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules, so the extra money from Real will be very much appreciated. The Blues received a reported £88m (€102m/$111m) up front for Hazard and the rest of the money involved in the huge £130m (€151m/$164m) deal was through achievable performance-based bonuses.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Hazard's decision to retire at age 32 came after a difficult spell at Real, with injuries ravaging the end of his career. The ex-Lille winger featured in just 54 La Liga matches during his time at the club.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  The news of a fresh injection of cash from the Hazard transfer will be more welcome news for Chelsea as they enjoy their best spell of the season. Mauricio Pochettino's side have won their last three Premier League matches and are up to seventh in the table. Wins against Brighton and Bournemouth in their final two games could see them finish as high as fifth – although that does depend on Tottenham losing to Sheffield United on the final day.