It wouldn't be a transfer window for Chelsea without Eden Hazard mentioned. The Belgian brings a sense of warmth and certainty to the minds of fans, especially in a time of major change.
Even when Hazard was a Chelsea player his name was linked with moves away from the club. As the club's main attraction, he did his fair share of flirting during those years as well. The move to Madrid was inevitable in the end the magic was not just getting another season out of him, and a truly great farewell in 2018/19 it was, but also receiving in advance of £100m ($124m) for him.
Marina Granovskaia secured what turned out to be one of the best deals in the club's history. After Madrid won the Champions League in 2022 they had paid extra for Hazard and as his career at Santiago Bernabeu comes to an end, his seven goals cost nearly £15m ($17m) each.
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It is sad to see such a great player be diminished to the butt of a joke. Left stranded on the sideline as younger, fitter and now quicker players progress through in the famous Madrid white. Hazard played less than 200 league minutes this season.
Despite his best intentions and desires his exit from the club was confirmed one year before the initial contract expired. "Real Madrid Football Club and Eden Hazard have reached an agreement whereby the player will leave the club as of 30 June 2023," read a club statement.
"Eden Hazard has been part of our club for four seasons, during which time he has won 8 titles: 1 European Cup, 1 Club World Cup, 1 European Super Cup, 2 LaLiga titles, 1 Copa del Rey and 2 Spanish Super Cups. "Real Madrid would like to express our affection to Eden Hazard and we wish him and his family the best of luck for the next stage of his career."
It was only over the winter that he signalled his intentions to remain. "I hope to play. It's been a difficult year but it's a year with a very big club," he said. "I have a good relationship with the coach and the players. I want to play but I know that's very difficult. I just have to work and hope I can play more."
In March he added: "I would like to stay. I have always said it. I hope to play to show that I can still do it. People have doubts, it's normal. I understand it really good. But for me, I'm still here next year. You never know, but a transfer is not in the plan.
"What can make me change my mind? I don't know. All I think about is playing. That's why I don't even think about leaving. Deep down, I think: 'I can contribute something'.
"Sorry, that's all. If I contribute a little, people will trust me again. They may tell themselves that they made a mistake in leaving me out. I only need minutes in my legs."
For Chelsea, who have come no closer to winning the league since Hazard's departure, his decline is sad and mirrors their own. It is easy to see the emotional, logic-lacking attraction to the 32-year-old. In reality, this is never going to happen. Even on a free contract and with massively reduced wages Hazard would only be blocking younger players that pose more benefit to the future.
There is also nothing to suggest Mauricio Pochettino would sanction a move. In the past the incumbent manager has been vocal of his frustration at Hazard's act. “When you are professional you are professional, and some opinions you cannot make public,” he said in 2016 after the winger stated that Chelsea didn't want Tottenham to win the league.
“Because after you create a big problem like what happened at Chelsea, remember? That was more like a battle than a football game. Why did that happen? You know very well.
“That’s why it’s compulsory to behave professionally. We translate a lot of emotion to the people. When you make public some emotions or opinions when you are professionals, yes (it was annoying).
“Because if you are going to play after against this team you cannot say, ‘I prefer Leicester to win the league’. You have to play against Tottenham and Leicester and you are a professional. I accept it may be your feeling that you prefer Leicester to Tottenham but to make it public is different.
“That is what annoyed me and my players and our fans, for sure. But in the end, it’s normal. You have your opinion and think maybe it will be Leicester, with less budget and everything, it would be nice for them to win. And it will be a massive history and for the Premier League, it says that all is possible in the Premier League.
“It was an amazing history. But when you are involved and you give your opinion and after you have to play against Tottenham and Leicester, I think it’s not right.”
One year later and he praised Hazard but also believed that Kane was the worthy winner of the PFA Player of the Year award. "Hazard is a very good player, he's fantastic. But the impact that Harry has had on English football is massive," he said.
"Everyone knew that Hazard is a brilliant player but I think not too many people expected that Harry Kane would show the performances that he has. This is the difference." Neither Kane nor Hazard won the award in the end and it was N'Golo Kante that scooped it up. Nevertheless, his stance over Hazard had mellowed.
Two years on from that and he went a step further. “Hazard is one of the best players in the world,” Pochettino said. “His quality, he’s unpredictable when he has the ball, everything is possible like Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar, players who have the quality to do something special on the pitch.”
He did, however, say that the team needed to focus on wider aspects than just Hazard when playing against the Blues. "When you play in this Premier League, every weekend, or every three days as we've been playing in the last few months, always it's about the opponent have a few players that can make the difference," Pochettino said in 2019.
"Like last Tuesday it was Hazard, and now Pogba. Pogba is a very talented player, a great player of course. But it's not only Pogba or Hazard, there are different players around.
"Of course they are special players. Manchester United have a great squad with great players with a lot of quality. Of course, we are not going to be only focused on Pogba, we need to be focused on the whole team not just one player."
Although it seems that a Pochettino and Hazard Chelsea special is unlikely, there are worse things to do than indulge in some nostalgia, especially when it involves Hazard's best years.
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