Eden Hazard’s brother Thorgan Hazard returns to RC Lens on free transfer

Eden Hazard’s younger brother Thorgan Hazard has signed for RC Lens on a free transfer, completing a dramatic full-circle return to the French club where he first broke through as a teenager.

What happened?

RC Lens announced on Thursday that Thorgan Hazard has joined the club until 2024, reuniting him with the side that gave him his professional debut in Ligue 2 back in 2009. The 33-year-old midfielder arrived as a free agent after his Anderlecht contract expired, bringing an end to a 10-year European odyssey that included stints at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund, PSV Eindhoven and Anderlecht.

Why it matters for Eden Hazard

This move is a personal milestone for Thorgan Hazard, but it also carries weight for his brother Eden Hazard, the former Chelsea and Belgium star. The two siblings shared a Chelsea arrival in 2012, though Thorgan’s career flourished in Germany and Belgium while Eden’s took him to Real Madrid. Eden’s own legacy looms large over Belgian football, and Thorgan’s return to Lens-where he once wore the number 9 shirt-adds another chapter to a family story intertwined with the club’s history.

What comes next for Thorgan Hazard?

Lens sporting director Jean-Louis Leca called the signing a “beautiful symbol,” praising Thorgan as a “pure product” of the club’s La Gaillette academy. With 522 club matches, 64 European games and 47 Belgium caps under his belt, Thorgan brings Champions League experience to a Lens side gearing up for its first crack at Europe’s premier competition since 2023-24. He’ll wear the number 9 shirt as Lens eyes a strong Ligue 1 campaign and a deep Champions League run.

A career shaped by movement and resilience

After leaving Lens for Chelsea in 2012 alongside Eden, Thorgan struggled for game time at Stamford Bridge before breaking out at Zulte Waregem in 2013-14. His 14 goals and league-high 16 assists earned him the Belgian Footballer of the Year award in January 2014. He later starred for Mönchengladbach and Dortmund, winning the 2022-23 DFB-Pokal with the latter and lifting the KNVB Beker during a PSV loan. A serious knee injury sidelined him for eight months in 2024, but he bounced back with 20 goal contributions in 2025-26, including a hat-trick and a player-of-the-month award, before helping Anderlecht reach the Croky Cup final.