Harry Redknapp told BT Sport over the weekend that he came close to signing Eden Hazard while Tottenham Hotspur manager.
What happened?
Redknapp, who is currently out of work, was in charge of the North London outfit between 2008 and 2012.
Hazard moved to Stamford Bridge from Lille five years ago, but according to the ex-QPR boss, the playmaker could have taken a different route to the Premier League.
On the BT Sport Tonight show, Redknapp said:
“I went to France and met him in a hotel room. I was with him for three hours, that’s probably why he didn’t sign! I could have had him at Tottenham.We wanted him but the club didn’t get the deal done.”
Since being at Chelsea, Hazard has pushed himself into the world-class bracket.
The 26-year-old has helped the Blues win two Premier League titles, the League Cup and Europa League.
On top of that, the midfielder was named the PFA Player of the Year for the 2014-15 season when the West London outfit won the English crown.
In the current campaign, Hazard had a slow start due to recovery from ankle surgery, which meant that his appearances have been restricted to seven starts in all competitions.
In 11 outings altogether, the Belgian has scored three goals and created two assists.
Where would Spurs be now if Hazard had signed?
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but there is no guarantee that the midfielder would have hit the ground running at White Hart Lane.
During Redknapp's time in charge, Tottenham had some decent players at his disposal, including Gareth Bale, but Hazard joined a Chelsea team with more established stars.
Had the playmaker picked Spurs, though, he would have become a star of the team, particularly if he had remained there during the emergence of Harry Kane and Dele Alli.
Tottenham were becoming a force under Redknapp, but they are now consistent title contenders, and it is fair to suggest that an addition to the trophy cabinet would have been made over the past five years with Hazard's influence.
https://video.footballfancast.com/video-2015/PL25(12-13).mp4