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#3 Eden Hazard | Real Madrid
It would be an understatement to suggest Eden Hazard has struggled since moving to Real Madrid. The Belgian achieved his dream transfer to the Spanish capital in 2019 and took on the famous No. 7 shirt that was once sported by Cristiano Ronaldo.
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But in the two years since, Hazard has made a paltry 43 appearances for Los Blancos, registering just five goals and eight assists. Injuries have plagued him time and again while he has been maligned repeatedly for not taking his fitness seriously.
Hazard has always been viewed as a player who seemed to enjoy life outside of football and statements from his teammates at Chelsea have only proved this. The relentless Real Madrid environment seems to have impeded massively on his carefree nature. Coupled with an impatient fanbase and massive transfer fees, it has clearly not helped the 30-year-old settle in or enjoy his football at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Hazard has shown glimpses of quality in the famed white jersey, but has come nowhere near his Chelsea best in the last two seasons. He remains one of the most talented and skillful players of this generation, but the decline in the Belgian's capabilities is undeniable.
#2 Antoine Griezmann | Barcelona
Barcelona's number 7 hasn't been as poor as his Real Madrid counterpart. But it is safe to say Antoine Griezmann has hit a serious roadblock after an incredible career at Atletico Madrid.
The Frenchman was the Euro 2016 Player of the Tournament for his nation and was crucial in Atletico Madrid's Europa League and Super Cup victories. But his much-maligned move to Barcelona has clearly set his career back by a few years. Yet another victim of the Catalan club's ridiculous cash splurge, Griezmann has made 99 appearances and contributed 35 goals for Barcelona so far.
While the figures aren't particularly woeful, they still fade in comparison to his 133 goals in 257 matches for Atletico. His experience with the Rojiblancos should have only made him more prolific at the Catalan club. Instead, the instability at the club has rubbed off on him, as he looks set to leave the Camp Nou just two seasons and a solitary Copa del Rey trophy to his name.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta seemingly wants the 30-year-old off the club's massive wage list. He is even ready to sell the Frenchman back to rivals Atletico in a reported player-plus-cash deal involving Saul Niguez. Griezmann was originally brought in to offer support to Luis Suarez at Barcelona; he now looks set to do that at Atletico instead. That should give you sufficient inkling about the poor organizational state of the Catalan giants at the moment.
Griezmann still has a few years left at the top, but is unlikely to reach the heights he was destined for. Had he stayed at Atletico, both he and the club might have benefitted. But a forced move to Barcelona has effectively bolstered his old side instead and he could potentially return to Atletico this summer with no guarantee of a starting berth.
#1 Gareth Bale | Real Madrid
We are aware that Gareth Bale is coming off a decent season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur. And yes, we know he could still prove to be deadly with Carlo Ancelotti back in the Real Madrid dugout.
But the downfall of Bale in recent years has been unavoidable, even though a reasonable proportion of it is not down to him alone. The Welshman has statistically thrived at Real Madrid, winning four Champions Leagues. He also has a healthy record of 105 goals and 68 assists in 251 matches for Los Blancos.
But many feel Bale has failed to live up to the potential he displayed when he originally arrived at the Spanish capital. He first fell out with Zinedine Zidane, who barely played him, and then with the fans as well.
The 32-year-old has repeatedly been plagued by injuries that have disrupted his career. But, in a similar vein to Hazard, Bale's occasional carefree attitude towards football meant he quickly fell out of favor with the Real Madrid fanbase. This clearly didn't deter the Welshman, who responded to the boos with banter (or rather, a banner) of his own.
Regardless of it all, Bale's decline has been quite steep. He displayed at Spurs that he could still deliver with the ball at his feet, which offered promise. But his performances at Euro 2020 proved once again how his career of late has been plagued by inconsistencies.
