Newcastle United are now reportedly interested in signing former Chelsea star Eden Hazard.

The Lowdown: January move?

Previous reports from ESPN claimed that the North East club, as well as Chelsea, have been ‘alerted’ to the potential of signing Hazard in the January transfer window.

However, it is not clear whether he would like to leave Real Madrid at this moment in time.

It is safe to say that things have not gone well for him in the Spanish capital, as he has only managed to score a mere five goals and make just nine assists in 53 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt), far fewer than what the Bernabeu faithful expected given that they spent a whopping £150m (BBC) for his signature.

Thus, it would not be a surprise if the La Liga giants decided to cut their losses on the Belgium international.

The Latest: Magpies 'interested'

As per Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), the St. James' Park faithful are one of a number of clubs, including others from the Premier League, who are indeed 'interested' in signing Hazard.

Both Madrid and manager Carlo Ancelotti would not be against a possible sale, and the outlet even goes as far as to claim that he has been a 'real problem' for Los Blancos.

The Verdict: Look elsewhere

Hazard was a great servant to the top flight when he was playing for Chelsea. Even former AFC Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, who has recently been linked with the Magpies job, is clearly a big fan, hailing him as 'outstanding' after a top performance against his old team.

He has scored a total of 198 goals for both club and country in over 700 matches, largely from a wide midfield position (Transfermarkt), which are highly impressive numbers considering where he plays on the pitch.

However, at 30 years of age now, Hazard is past his peak, and also carries injury issues with him, which is already a problem for the whoever the new manager is.

The Toon already have Allan Saint-Maximin as a superb left-wing option as well, and so the new owners should look to prioritise other positions in the squad anyway.

In other news, find out who Graeme Jones has 'pushed' for to be NUFC manager here!