Shades of Hazard: Chelsea lead race for £40m "superstar" alongside Simons
When it comes to picking the best Chelsea player of the last 20 years or so, fans are spoilt for choice.
Some will immediately think of Didier Drogba for his Champions League-winning goal, while others might point to Frank Lampard for his absurd record from the middle of the park.
You might even have some who lean towards John Terry for how he led the club through their greatest period ever.
However, for many, when it comes to pure skill and technique, it’s hard to look past Eden Hazard, and so fans should be excited about reports linking the club with a player who has shades of the Belgian about him.
Chelsea target ace with shades of Hazard
This summer has undoubtedly been one of Chelsea’s most positive in some time, as the club has not only achieved success on the pitch but also been busy and effective in the transfer market.
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For example, the additions of Jamie Gittens, Joao Pedro and Liam Delap will make them far more dangerous going forward, and Jorrel Hato should make them more solid at the back.
And yet, even with all of these players in, and Xavi Simons likely to join them, the West Londoners are looking to do even more business and are targeting a player with Hazard-esque qualities.
At least that is according to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, who has reaffirmed Chelsea’s intense interest in Alejandro Garnacho.
Baliey goes a step further, though, revealing that while other teams are interested in the Manchester United ace, the Blues have done the most work and are currently leading the race for his signature.
A price is not mentioned in the story, but other reports from this summer indicate that the final fee could reach around £40m, which might not be a bad price for someone as talented as Garnacho, especially not when he has shades of Hazard about him.
Garnacho's Hazard-esque qualities
Now, the first thing to stress here is that we are not claiming that Ganracho is as good as Hazard was during his time at Chelsea, nor would we even suggest he’s all that close at the moment.
However, there are some similarities between the pair, and it’s important to remember that the United ace is still only 21 years old, and therefore has at least five or six years until he should be hitting his peak.
With that said, one of the similarities that’s hard to ignore is how effective the Argentine is with the ball at his feet, which was most certainly one of the Belgian’s strengths – just look at a few of his highlights.
For example, according to FBref, the Madrid-born gem was in the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League last seaosn for carries into the final third, the top 7% for progressive carries, the top 10 % for carries into the penalty area and the top 12% for progressive carrying distance, all per 90.
In other words, while the dynamic attacker can get the ball into dangerous areas with a pass, he’s even more effective at doing so with the ball at his feet and dribbling up the pitch.
Garnacho’s FBref Scout Report
Statistic
Per 90
Percentile
Touches (Att Pen)
7.20
Top 6%
Carries into Final Third
2.95
Top 6%
Progressive Carries
5.77
Top 7%
Shots Total
3.44
Top 7%
Progressive Passes Rec
11.87
Top 8%
Total Carrying Distance
260.50
Top 8%
Shots on Target
1.19
Top 10%
Carries into Penalty Area
2.74
Top 10%
Tackles (Att 3rd)
0.53
Top 11%
Progressive Carrying Distance
132.81
Top 12%
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 PL Season
On top of this key similarity, we have already seen that the eight-capped international “superstar,” as dubbed by journalist Liam Canning, is capable of the spectacular, much like the Blues ace was before him – that goal against Tottenham Hotspur always springs to mind.
The best example of the youngster doing something truly out of the ordinary was when he scored that sensational Puskas-winning goal against Everton at Goodison Park, in what might be the best bicycle kick we’ve ever seen, at least from a technique standpoint.
Finally, with a goal in the 2024 FA Cup final against Manchester City, we also know that the incredibly talented ace can thrive on the biggest of stages, just like Hazard did before him.
Ultimately, Garnacho has no match for the level the Belgian did before him, but he has shades of him in his game, and therefore, Chelsea should do what they can to bring him to Stamford Bridge this summer.
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