This is absolutely bad news for Chelsea fans all over the world. Their star player and Belgium national team striker, Eden Hazard has promised he would not leave Chelsea in January. But he also joked that to one day win the Ballon d’Or, he would need to be playing in Spain.
There is a cheekiness and honesty about Hazard that allows him to get away with such comments. Few players have ever spoken so publicly and on so many occasions about their dream of playing at another elite club.
With Hazard, though, there is no ego behind such ambition, and if he does fulfil his goal of playing at the Santiago Bernabeu, even Chelsea fans are unlikely to hold a grudge.
This is not about money or profile or his brand—it’s about trying to perform at the highest level and win the game’s biggest honours. And Hazard knows he has to get the next decision right.
At 27 years old, Hazard’s next contract will carry him through the peak of his career. Chelsea tried on numerous occasions last season to tie him down, but for most of this calendar year, they have had to step back while the player takes focus.
Sources close to Hazard suggest he remains unlikely to commit to anything this side of 2019, as he is carefully weighing up exactly where he is going to fit best over the coming years. Deep down, he hopes it’s Madrid. But he is completely open to staying at Chelsea if they show signs of matching his ambition.
Success in the Champions League and being recognised as a realistic contender for the Ballon d’Or are among the main goals, and sources at Chelsea are aware of their need to convince him to stay.
One told Bleacher Report how there is much more fear over the knock-on effect of losing Hazard than there ever was of losing Thibaut Courtois.
The goalkeeper joined Madrid in the summer, and the Chelsea insider explained: “Everyone felt that while he is a very good goalkeeper, he was replaceable. With Hazard, there is definitely more concern that he is not going to be replaceable.”
Losing him would be a backwards step, and when Chelsea are given the green light to hold fresh talks with Hazard, one of the key aspects of the conversation will centre around how they intend to attack next summer’s transfer market and how they plan for Maurizio Sarri to turn the club back into European heavyweights.
If it comes down to financial numbers, Chelsea are willing to break the bank. Previously they had spoken about an offer of £300,000-per-week, per the Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel—a good leap from his current deal which is around £220,000-per-week. But Chelsea would be willing to pay even more than that now. He would be setting the bar at a new level as the highest-paid player in the club’s history.
His form this season would suggest his heart remains in London. But cynics suggest there is another reason he has been so electric this season.
