Burnley boss Vincent Kompany reveals admiration for Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard

Simon Wilkes
18 April 2023

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany feels 'there is still magic' in Eden Hazard's boots, despite the former Chelsea playmaker's struggles for form and fitness since moving to Real Madrid in June 2019.

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany could make a summer move for Real Madrid playmaker Eden Hazard after admitting 'there is still magic' in the Belgian.

Hazard has had a torrid time since moving to Real Madrid for £89million in June 2019, with injuries restricting him to just 29 league appearances in which he has scored four goals.

Compare that to the 32-year-old's haul of 85 goals in 222 league appearances for Chelsea during a seven-year stay at Stamford Bridge, and it's fair to say Hazard's time in Spain has not gone to plan.

The former Lille star is under contract to Madrid until the summer of 2024 but has a string of stars such as Vinicius Junior and Marco Asensio ahead of him in the pecking order - so Carlo Ancelotti could be open to a summer sale if Burnley make a bid for Hazard's services.

The Clarets are already making plans for their return to the Premier League, having romped to automatic promotion under Kompany's stewardship in the Championship.

Burnley have banked an impressive 91 points from 41 games, winning 26 and losing only twice so far this season.

But they will need to add some top-flight experience to their squad this summer, and Hazard could well be on the radar after former Belgium defender Kompany told RTBF: "He can still score in the Champions League final, he can still win a title.

"There is still magic in this player, in the person. And we have to hope for the best for him so that he finishes as he deserves."

Although Hazard has struggled for form and fitness in recent years, Kompany added: "Talking about the end of his career is too early for me. The most important thing is that Eden had injuries and that's what changed.

"Having injuries, you have to respect the fact that you can't control that. He had to deal with injuries and the aftermath. And it's always hard to come back.

"Behind that, there is always the player who gave us a lot of good moments, who made us proud to support Belgium. And then, there is always someone who still has a fight to fight and still has something to do at some point."