EVERY August, Eden and Thorgan Hazard make a bet with each other: whoever scores fewer goals in the course of the season has to invite the other brother for dinner.
The arrangement has proved expensive for the Borussia Mönchengladbach winger, who’s three years younger than his more famous sibling. Ever since Thorgan became a pro in 2011, he has never bettered Eden, 28, in league goals and only twice drawn.
This year, however, the Chelsea player's credit card might end up taking a beating. Thorgan is firmly on course for a career high goals total, having netted nine times already for third-placed Borussia in eighteen games – his previous record is ten league goals in 2017/18 – while Eden (currently on ten) has struggled for form alongside his Blues team mates in recent weeks.
Absolute banger from Thorgan Hazard pic.twitter.com/EONtGOOXm1
— Alex Goldberg (@AlexGoldberg_) January 13, 2019
Looking at their underlying performance numbers going back five years, there’s even argument that Thorgan has been a little unlucky not to have his dinner paid for earlier. His xG90 (expected goals per 90 minutes) since 2014/15 is 0.37, while Eden’s is 0.30. In terms of assists, they’re dead even on 0.25 per game.
That is not to say that they’re equally good players right now. Eden has consistently performed for six and a half years at Chelsea, whereas Thorgan has only just started making a similar impact on a regular basis. The latter won’t be going to Real Madrid this summer, the former might well do.
Eden’s style, a burst of short, mazy movements in full flight, is more eye-catching than Thorgan’s who is more economical and direct. Having said that it’s no surprise that Borussia Dortmund, one of the best clubs in the transfer market has identified Hazard the Younger as a key signing for next season.
They are reportedly prepared to part with €42m to take Thorgan to the Signal Iduna Park one year ahead of the expiry of his current contract with the Foals. Gladbach, well-positioned for Champions League qualification will not let him leave in January under any circumstances but have been equally clear that he will be sold after the campaign has run its course if an agreement for an extension beyond 2020 cannot be found.
Dortmund had been looking to secure a deal for Thorgan Hazard as a replacement for Pulisic, interesting to see if that now comes through
— Dean Jones (@DeanJonesBR) January 2, 2019
Many observers believe that the deal with the Black and Yellows is all but done, since Dortmund ensured that Hazard’s former club Chelsea would give up their contractual right to match any offers when Christian Pulisic was sold to Stamford Bridge earlier this month. Thorgan would easily be BVB’s record buy.
Experience, maturity, a season without injury and more flexible attacking tactics by Gladbach manager Dieter Hecking have all contributed to Hazard reaching a new level in 2018/19. But perhaps the most important factor behind his improvement is a more fixed role in the team.
For years, the Foals played without an orthodox centre-forward, relying instead on angled runs into the box by the likes of Hazard and Jonas Hofmann. New signing Alassane Pléa, however, leads the line very effectively, reducing the pressure on Hazard and other attacking midfielders to double up as make-shift strikers
Being asked to do less, has enabled Hazard to do more; he’s evolved into one of the league’s most effective wide players. Hazard the Elder will do very well to hold off his brother’s goals-for-supper challenge over the next few months.
