Several Manchester United supporters might still rue the fact that it missed out on signing former Belgian international Eden Hazard, who instead joined rival Chelsea.
According to a Times report, United wasn’t able to close the deal to sign Hazard in the summer of 2012 after it refused to pay the player’s agent a “huge backhander”.
The report details allegations surrounding the conduct of Hazard’s then-agent John Bico during the winger’s high-profile transfer from Lille to Chelsea for a fee of £32 million in June 2012. However, in the lead-up, a potential transfer to United collapsed despite an agreement on both a transfer fee and personal terms with the player.
The sticking point, it is claimed, was United’s unwillingness to make a direct payment to Bico to facilitate the deal.
This alleged misconduct has surfaced in the wake of an investigation into unrelated financial crime charges against Bico in Belgium. Adding another layer of intrigue, the Premier League is currently scrutinising a £6 million payment made to Bico in 2013 by an offshore company linked to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
The focus of the allegations rests solely on the actions of Bico.
In 352 appearances for the London club, Hazard scored 112 goals, while providing 88 assists.
During his time at Chelsea, Hazard won multiple honours, including two Premier League titles, two Europa League trophies, one FA Cup, and one League Cup.
Individually, the 2014-15 season saw him recognised as the Premier League Player of the Season, FWA Footballer of the Year, and PFA Players’ Player of the Year.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com