REAL MADRID are reportedly set to use Eden Hazard as bait to land long-time target Kylian Mbappe.
Hazard has struggled with injury and fitness issues ever since he moved to the Bernabeu from Chelsea for £130million in June 2019.
Now, according to Spanish TV programme El ChiringuitoLos Blancos are ready to cut their losses.
And they hope Hazard can be offered as a sweetner in a deal to bring Paris Saint-Germain striker Mbappe, 21, to LaLiga.
Hazard’s nightmare spell in Spain continued when he contracted coronavirus earlier this month.
The positive test is the latest in a long list of setbacks for former Chelsea star Hazard.
The 29-year-old infuriated Madrid bosses by turning up to pre-season overweight in September.
And he has missed a whopping 35 games through injury since his move to Spain.
Hazard went 392 days without even scoring a goal for Zinedine Zidane’s side.
Meanwhile France World Cup winner Mbappe has been Los Blancos’ top target for the last two years.
The striker’s contract at the Parc des Princes expires at the end of the 2021-22 season.
And there is no indication as yet that the 21-year-old is close to agreeing a new deal.
Mbappe has frequently admitted his love for boyhood club Real Madrid.
The PSG ace grew up with posters of Galacticos such as Cristiano Ronaldo on his wall.
If you’re a boy and you’re French, your idol is Zidane
Kylian Mbappe
And the Frenchman also revealed current Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane is an idol of his.
Mbappe once admitted: “If you’re a boy and you’re French, your idol is Zidane.”
Zidane reciprocated, himself saying: “You know that I have known [Mbappe] for a long time.
“I am already in love with him, firstly as a person, because he came to do a trial here a long time ago.”