{"id":176374,"date":"2025-04-24T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/24\/why-man-utd-lost-out-to-chelsea-in-race-to-sign-eden-hazard\/"},"modified":"2025-04-24T20:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T20:00:00","slug":"why-man-utd-lost-out-to-chelsea-in-race-to-sign-eden-hazard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/24\/why-man-utd-lost-out-to-chelsea-in-race-to-sign-eden-hazard\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Man Utd lost out to Chelsea in race to sign Eden Hazard"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Manchester United backed out of a 2012 deal to <\/strong>sign<\/strong><\/a> Eden Hazard due to demands from the player\u2019s then agent for “secret” payments, a report has explained more than a decade later.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hazard was Europe\u2019s hottest summer transfer saga 13 years ago. The young Belgian had helped fire Lille to a French league and cup double in 2010\/11 and was ready to take the next step in his career.<\/p>\n

Tottenham Hotspur and nouveau-riche Manchester City were among the clubs tracking Hazard, as were Manchester United. The Old Trafford club, reaching the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson era, are believed to have agreed both a transfer fee with Lille and personal terms with the player.<\/p>\n

But The Times<\/em><\/a> has revealed things broke down when John Bico, who represented Hazard until 2014, “demanded a huge backhander”. He is alleged to have asked for \u00a31m paid from United, plus “several million more direct from the owners”, which would have been kept off the club’s accounts.<\/p>\n

United refused to engage in a “clear breach” of both Premier League and UEFA regulations.<\/p>\n

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