Zidane admits Chelsea star Hazard 'cannot replace' Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid but £100m transfer race hots up

REAL MADRID coach Zinedine Zidane has admitted not even Eden Hazard can replace Cristiano Ronaldo at the Bernabeu.

The Chelsea ace is understood to be on the verge of sealing his £100million summer move to Los Blancos.

Madrid are increasingly confident Hazard will join them this summer to usher in the second Zidane era.

Los Blancos have even reportedly started house-hunting for the Belgium international in the posh district of Pozuelo.

The Chelsea ace only fuelled speculations when he admitted he was happy to see Zidane returning to the Bernabeu less than a year after parting ways with the club.

Zidane has been a long-term admirer of Hazard and has insisted on bringing the winger in.

GAZING AT THE STARS

Madrid are desperate to sign a star player as they have been struggling since Ronaldo moved to Juventus last summer.

Los Blancos will finish the season trophy-less as they are 13 points behind league leaders Barcelona in La Liga with six games to spare.

Their arch-rivals also knocked them out of the Copa del Rey after Ajax humiliated Madrid in the Champions League, beating them 4-1 at the Bernabeu in February.

Hazard has scored 19 goals and added 12 assists this season, proving he is the kind of player the Spanish giants are after.

But Zidane claims that whoever joins Los Blancos this summer, won't be able to have the same influence as Ronaldo did in his nine-year spell at the club.

Zidane said: "The problem is that Cristiano [Ronaldo] cannot be replaced.

"He is gone, but we can bring any player and the player who comes will not do the same as Cristiano."

Madrid are set for a massive squad overhaul this summer.

Apart from Hazard, Zidane is considering moves for Paul Pogba, Declan Rice or Christian Eriksen, among others.

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