Eden Hazard is reportedly all set to remain at Stamford Bridge despite speculation linking the Chelsea star with a summer move to Real Madrid.
The London Evening Standard have reported that Eden Hazard is fully committed to Chelsea and has no intentions to push for an exit from Stamford Bridge. The report comes in the wake of interest from Real Madrid, who have made the Belgian forward a priority summer target.
Eden Hazard is back to being the talisman in Chelsea’s attack after the debacle that was the 2015/16 season for the Blues and the player himself. Chelsea crumbled in the defence of the Premier League title to finish a disappointing tenth and Hazard was a pale shadow of his usual domineering self.
However, the Belgian international has rediscovered his best form in 2016/17 and has turned into the go-to man for Chelsea manager Antonio Conte. The 26-year-old has played all but one Premier League game for the Blues, scoring 11 goals while providing 4 assists in these matches.
The change in formation to 3-4-3 by Conte has played a big role in Hazard’s resurgence, as he has been afforded the freedom to roam around in the final third and express himself without being burdened by defensive workload.
As a result, Hazard is looking all set to finish 2016/17 with his best ever return in a Premier League season, as he is just three short of his tally from 2013/14 and 2014/15.
However, all the success has also resulted in Hazard grabbing the attention once again, and long-time admirers are reported to be back in the market for the player. Manager Zinedine Zidane, who is his idol, is said to be a big fan of the Chelsea attacker and has made him a priority target or the summer.
There is growing uncertainty over the futures of James Rodriguez, Isco, Alvaro Morata, Marco Asensio and Karim Benzema, who are all being linked with moves away from the Santiago Bernabeu. Should they leave the club at the end of the season, positions in attack will be up for grabs.
In any case, Hazard brings a lot of proven quality to the table and at 26, he is entering his peak years. All that would make the Belgian a top asset for Real Madrid and together with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, he can form one of the most potent attacking trios in the world.
However, Real Madrid are set to face a huge blow in their pursuit of Hazard as he is content at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are not interested in letting go of one of their most prized assets either, with Conte claiming that the player ‘had no price’.
This means Real Madrid will have to look elsewhere in search of top attacking talent in the summer, as Hazard wishes to continue remaining an integral member of the Chelsea first team setup.
