Manchester United rejected the transfer of Hazard due to demands from the agent: details.

According to The Sun: Manchester United could have signed Eden Hazard 13 years ago, however, had this occurred, the club might have faced issues with the FA.

Negotiations over a deal aimed at transferring the Belgian to Old Trafford broke down due to the million-dollar demands of Hazard's agent, John Bico, which were first reported by The Times in April.

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The club decided to abandon the deal due to the agent's demands and instead signed Shinji Kagawa.

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This deal was intended to be structured as a £1 million official payment, plus several million from the owners to bypass the club's financial Fair Play regulations.

However, Bico was informed that United would not agree to such terms, as it would breach Premier League and UEFA rules.

Ultimately, Hazard transferred to Chelsea from Lille for £32 million.

For that amount, fans believed that the then-owner of the 'Blues', Roman Abramovich, made the right choice, as Hazard helped the team win six trophies, including two Premier League titles, before transferring to Real Madrid in 2019 for an initial £88.5 million.

At the same time, United signed Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund for an initial £12 million, but this transfer unfortunately did not pay off.

Kagawa is remembered only for one bright moment — a hat-trick against Norwich in 2013, becoming the first Asian to score a hat-trick in the Premier League, before leaving the club in 2014.

Meanwhile, Chelsea is now facing serious difficulties following the FA's announcement of 74 charges for breaking agent payment rules from the 2010-11 to 2015-16 seasons.

 

“The Football Association today brought charges against Chelsea for breaches of FA agents regulations J1 and C2, regulations A2 and A3 regarding work with intermediaries, and regulations A1 and B3 concerning third-party investments in players.”

“A total of 74 charges have been brought against Chelsea... Chelsea has until September 19, 2025, to respond.”

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Overview of the Situation

The FA investigation, which was initiated in 2023, initially focused on payments related to the signings of Samuel Eto'o and Willian in 2013, as well as the signing of Hazard a year earlier.

It is known that the charges concern indirect payments, those that were approved by the former owner to assist in signing players.

One of them is a potential payment of £6 million from Abramovich to Bico through an offshore company.

Legendary former United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, commented on this:

“What we are witnessing now is a climate for buying these top players - not only transfer fees but also wages, agents' fees - is becoming utterly absurd.”

“In the case of Hazard, Chelsea paid the agent £6 million. The situation with Nasri was similar. It all depends on how you rate the player.”

The Situation Around Chelsea

Chelsea faces record punishment for secret payments to agents

Here’s what is known:

• Chelsea faces 74 charges from the FA regarding possible violations concerning agents.
• The charges relate to the period from 2009 to 2022 during Roman Abramovich's ownership.
• They are related to three transfers - Samuel Eto'o, Willian, and Eden Hazard.
• The new owners, led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, self-reported the situation to the FA.
• Despite potential leniency for cooperation, Chelsea may face serious fines if found guilty.
• In addition to the FA charges, the Premier League is also conducting its own separate investigation.
• Chelsea has until September 19 to formally respond to the FA charges.

There is no evidence that Hazard was aware of these payments or involved in any wrongdoing.

Cases of possible violations were discovered by Chelsea’s new owners during the acquisition process in May 2022.

They were then reported to the FA, UEFA, and the Premier League.

In 2023, UEFA and Chelsea signed a 'deal' worth £8.6 million, but the Premier League investigation is ongoing.

It was expected that the Premier League would also impose a fine on Chelsea, although some competitors called for stricter sanctions.

Now the FA charges may delay the imposition of sanctions by the Premier League.

The scale of the allegations and the timing of the investigation indicate that potential sanctions could be record-breaking, although Chelsea's new owners are demonstrating full cooperation.