Former England international Jack Wilshere believes that Eden Hazard ‘would love’ to play under new Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe.
Wilshere spent a season on loan from Arsenal at Bournemouth under Howe five years ago.
The former Arsenal midfielder has praised the 43-year-old for being able to deal with big personalities and bringing the best out of them.
Hazard has had a torrid time at Real Madrid and following Newcastle’s new-found wealth, the Belgian is one of a number of world-class names being linked with a big-money switch to St James’ Park.
Sport reported this month that Newcastle are optimistic of signing the former Chelsea star.
Wilshere feels that Hazard would relish playing under the former Cherries boss, and that Howe would have no issue in managing the former Premier League winner.
Speaking to talkSPORT on Hazard, Howe and about his own time at the Vitality Stadium, Wilshere said: “He [Howe] was great with me, because it was tough for me there because I was coming from a big club.
“I stepped into a group that had been together since they were in League One, they were all friends.
“They were all great with me, but Eddie made sure they were. He was great with me.
“Eden Hazard is another level, but I think Eden would love playing for a manager like Eddie Howe [at Newcastle]. He’s the type of manager you want to play for.”
What has happened to Eden Hazard?
Now in his third season for Los Blancos, Hazard hasn’t been able to replicate the devastating form he produced in the Premier League for the Spanish giants.
In the two full seasons he has been in Spain, the Belgian international hasn’t made more than 16 La Liga appearances in either campaign, due to his ongoing injury issues.
Across 54 games in all competitions he has played so far, Hazard has mustered up just five goals and nine assists.
He has hardly repaid the initial £89m (BBC Sport), that Madrid forked out to secure his signature.
Without a start to his name since September, the 30-year-old is clearly out-of-favour under Carlo Ancelotti, who is using Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Marco Asensio over Hazard.
With his Madrid contract not expiring until June 2024, Ancelotti could well ask Florentino Perez to sanction a transfer for Madrid’s number seven, who has been unable to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo.
But with 110 goals and 92 assists from 352 games for Chelsea and with a further 33 goals and 35 assists for his country from 115 caps, Hazard is more than capable of rekindling the form that convinced Madrid to pay the huge sum of money to sign him.
Would Hazard join Newcastle?
Playing on the left of a Newcastle front-three alongside Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin would be a mouth-watering prospect.
However, that would depend on whether Hazard can overcome his injury issues and if he has the desire to reach the top of the game once again.
If his career continues on its current path, then the Belgian could prove to be a hugely expensive flop that would be sitting on outrageously high wages.
But if he was willing to rebuild his career on Tyneside for footballing reasons, playing under Howe, it could prove to be a masterstroke.
A January deal is practically impossible with the club flirting with relegation, but a summer move with our Premier League status assured cannot be ruled out.
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