Eden Hazard discusses how Chelsea secured his signing over Manchester United.
After choosing to leave Lille in 2012, former Chelsea player Eden Hazard disclosed that Manchester United was one of the teams he was thinking about joining.
Hazard joined Chelsea in a high-profile transfer in 2012, after being pursued by some of the world’s best clubs.
United was one of the teams pursuing Hazard and was heavily connected to the Belgian forward.
Sir Alex Ferguson, the Red Devils’ manager at the time, made frequent trips to France to watch the Belgian play and speak with him.
In the most recent episode of The Obi One Podcast, Hazard revealed that his choice to join the Blues was mostly driven by the prospect of playing in the Champions League after their success in Europe’s premier competition that season.
Chelsea famously won the Champions League title by defeating Bayern Munich in 2012, while United lost the Premier League crown to Manchester City on goal difference.
“I think the last year with Lille in France, I had all the managers trying to call me or my agent,” he said.
Eden Hazard discusses how Chelsea secured his signing over Manchester United.
I had a conversation with Sir Alex Ferguson. I chatted with Harry Redknapp, who was then the manager of Tottenham. I travelled to Manchester to view the Manchester City training facility and chatted with Mancini.
“I had a few possibilities, but not Chelsea, because Chelsea were not particularly excellent in the league during my final year in Lille. When they won the Champions League, I believe they finished sixth or seventh in the Premier League.
“I knew I was leaving France for the Premier League, but not Chelsea because I wanted to play in the Champions League, and that move happened because you won the Champions League, and then I thought I might go to Chelsea since they would participate in the Champions League the next season. I went to southern France on vacation and saw (Roman) Abrahamovic, and I was like, ‘Let’s go, that’s my club’.
“Chelsea was far away, which is why I want to thank Drogba. That is the fact. I wasn’t planning on going to Chelsea. I wanted to play in the Champions League, and Chelsea was not a possibility until they won the competition.”
Hazard spent seven seasons with Chelsea, winning two Premier League crowns, an FA Cup, a Carabao Cup, and two UEFA Europa League trophies.
The former attacker won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year, and Premier League Player of the Season accolades, as well as being named to the PFA Premier League Team of the Year four times.
United signed Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund that summer after losing out on signing Hazard.
