Manchester City to spend big on Eden Hazard this summer?

The January transfer window might still be open but already throughts have turned to the summer and one man who might well be in demand is Eden Hazard.

Hazard has yet to extend his Chelsea contract which has prompted lots of excited speculation about a possible move to Real Madrid, but now Manchester City are also being linked with the Belgian.

It all started with a report in the Sunday Mirror, which claimed that Pep Guardiola’s side have made Hazard their top summer target and want to spend £150 million on him.

Interestingly, that report emerged at the same time as quotes from Pep Guardiola, saying City can’t afford to buy players for huge fees.

“When you want to handle four competitions sometimes you have to be lucky with injuries. Otherwise you need 22 top players for every position. People don’t believe this, but today 22 top players is too expensive to buy, even [for] City,” he said.

“Their salaries we cannot pay. There are budgets for the transfers and we cannot pay.

“In the future, it may change but we haven’t paid more than £80m-£100m for one player. We cannot pay that right now, it is the truth.”

Source | Sky Sports

While Guardiola’s words have surprised many, the Hazard to City rumor is starting to pick up speed.

According to Goal’s Sam Lee, City actually ARE interested in signing Hazard and that he is “one of at least three forwards that particularly appear to Guardiola.”

He also points out that a deal is not going to be easy. Chelsea don’t want to sell and Hazard has a contract until 2020, Madrid are also interested and the Belgian’s wages could also prove a problem.

It does seem though, that Hazard to City might be about to become a thing, and with the summer still a long way off, we’re probably going to hear a lot more about this as the season progresses.