Real Madrid 'Saving' Number 7 Shirt for Eden Hazard After Expected Cristiano Ronaldo Exit

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has reportedly already decided which player he wants to wear the club's iconic number seven shirt after Cristiano Ronaldo'sincreasingly likely departure to Juventus, with Chelsea star Eden Hazard top of his wishlist.

Ronaldo is expected to soon join Juventus in a €100m deal that will see the five-time Ballon d'Or winner earn €30m per season in net wages.

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It leaves a significant void in the Real lineup, but Perez is already determined to quickly fill it.

According to Diario Gol, the Bernabeu chief has wavered in his lengthy pursuit of Neymar as Paris Saint-Germain refuse to do business. As such, Hazard is now the player apparently in his sights and the one he specifically wants to take over Ronaldo's number seven shirt.

The Belgian, who has so far refused to sign a new Chelsea contract and is widely rumoured to be considering leaving the Premier League club, has long been a Real target. But that interest was from now departed coach Zinedine Zidane, with Perez said to have not been so convinced.

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Diario Gol claims that the president always felt Hazard lacked Galactico status and it is only because of the ongoing World Cup and seeing the 27-year-old perform for Belgium, who are just 90 minutes away from the final, that has changed his mind.

The report even points to Perez's past record of signing players off the back of World Cup performances - such as Mesut Ozil in 2010 and James Rodriguez in 2014.

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Hazard currently wears the number 10 shirt for club and country, but Luka Modric occupies that jersey at the Bernabeu. Hazard has previously worn 17 for Chelsea, however.