Transfer Centre

Guillem Balague: 'Real Madrid want Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois in summer'

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter | 07 January 2018

Chelsea duo Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois are Real Madrid's primary summer transfer targets, according to respected La Liga journalist Guillem Balague.

Real Madrid have identified Chelsea duo Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois as their primary summer transfer targets, according to La Liga journalist Guillem Balague.

Hazard, whose Blues contract runs until 2020, is believed to have rejected a new contract offer from the Premier League club in December.

Meanwhile Courtois, whose current Chelsea deal expires in 2019, wants his future decided before the end of the season and will "consider all options".

Real have regularly been linked with Hazard and Courtois, and Balague confirmed that the duo are top of Los Blancos' summer transfer plans.

"Real Madrid need big names and they have lined up Courtois, they want Hazard," the Spaniard told Sky Sports News.

"Those are the kind of names they want for next season. Doesn't mean they will get them, but that's the shopping list they have.

"It's becoming clearer in the minds of the directors of Real Madrid they need another striker, that Karim Benzema has to be sold. He doesn't even have the backing of the fans.

"Real Madrid will always do their plan of getting a Galactico every year or couple of years and they realise their front men are getting older, it's more difficult for them to score."

Hazard has made 27 appearances this season for Chelsea, scoring nine goals, while Courtois has kept 13 clean sheets in 29 Blues games in the 2017-18 campaign.