Manchester United lost out on chance to sign Eden Hazard before his Chelsea switch because of one key reason: Reports
Manchester United reportedly lost out on the chance to sign former Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard for one key reason. The former Belgian attacker was with the Blues between 2012 and 2019.
Often considered among the best Chelsea players of all time, Eden Hazard signed for the club from LOSC Lille for a reported €35 million in July 2012. He made 352 appearances for the Blues, contributing 110 goals and 88 assists across competitions. In his prime, Hazard was often lauded for his dribbling skills, which were compared to the likes of Lionel Messi. The Belgian led the Blues to two Premier League titles and two Europa League honors, among others.
According to a report from The Times, Manchester United were close to signing Eden Hazard from Lille in 2012. However, they lost out on his signing as they refused to pay his then-agent, John Bico, a separate lump-sum amount. Bico reportedly demanded a separate payment of £1 million during Hazard's deal from Manchester United, with several million more from the owners.
Manchester United reportedly immediately refused to make such payments, as it would violate UEFA and the Premier League's economic guidelines. This led Bico to focus on other clubs for Eden Hazard, where Chelsea finally won the race to sign him.
It is worth noting that there is no indication that Eden Hazard was aware of the demands made by his agent. Meanwhile, whether such transactions took place between the Blues and John Bico remains under investigation. In 2013, a Dubai company belonging to Chelsea's then-owner, Roman Abramovich, reportedly paid €7 million to Bico.
The Premier League is continuing its investigations regarding what happened between John Bico and the Blues since 2022 - when Abramovich sold the club to Todd Boehly. Bico stopped managing Hazard in 2014, but is currently facing unrelated financial charges in Belgium, the report claims.
When Eden Hazard revealed how he joined Chelsea amid Manchester United interest
In an interview on The Obi One podcast last year, Eden Hazard recalled the transfer saga that led to him signing for the Blues in 2012. He said (via talkSPORT):
"I had a chat with Sir Alex Ferguson. I spoke with Harry Redknapp, at that time he was the manager of Tottenham. I went to Manchester to see the Man City training ground. So I had a few options, but not Chelsea because the last year in Lille, they in the league was not that good."
Eden Hazard announced his transfer to the Blues despite Manchester United and Tottenham's interest days after they won their first Champions League in 2012. Didier Drogba's penalty kick convinced the Belgian to move to the Stamford Bridge. He recalled:
"So that move came because you won the Champions League. Ah my friend, Chelsea was like far away. That's why I say thank you to Drogba!"
Hazard eventually left the club in 2019 to sign for Real Madrid for a reported €120.8 million. His stint with the LaLiga giants did not turn out as expected, and the Belgian announced his retirement from football in October 2023.
