Is it?
Premier League heavyweights Chelsea look set to offer their superstar player Eden Hazard a bumper new deal to make sure Real Madrid are kept at bay in their attempts to prise the Belgian.
A reported new contract offer appears to be the club’s instinct reaction to spreading rumours linking Hazard with a possible move to Spain. The former Lille star has flirted with the idea of moving to Madrid, claiming it would be ‘a dream to play in Spain’ and his honestly raised eyebrows with a large portion of the public.
Many were quick to condemn his open-heartedness and claimed the Belgian was sending a come-and-get-me plea to Los Blancos. The 27-year-old has never been shy about his desire to one day play for Real Madrid and talked about the Spanish giants at length since the end of the World Cup.
Real Madrid is the best club in the world. I don’t want to lie today. It is my dream since I was a kid. I was dreaming about this club,” Eden Hazard was quoted earlier in the summer. He even went on to disclose that Chelsea blocked a move to the European Champions and the fans were not particularly happy about his constant comments.
Growing speculation and mounting rumours did not disturb Eden Hazard, however, who has emerged as the most notable player at Chelsea this season and will definitely be the one to watch against Manchester United this weekend.
Talking about the weekend, the club football returns with a bang as seen in our Instagram post.
View this post on Instagram
Walking a Tightrope
One could argue that Hazard was laying foundations for a possible January exit if things did not work out under Maurizio Sarri as any self-respecting professional would. Eden Hazard would have only been taking care of his personal career without disrupting the fantastic relationship he’s enjoyed with Chelsea thus far.
“I am very happy with this club, with the team, my family is happy here. I love the fans – I think the fans love me,” Eden Hazard said.
Be it as it may that Eden was only keeping all of his options open by refusing to commit to Chelsea and by casting admiring glances toward Real Madrid, there is not a single Chelsea fan who could claim Eden Hazard did not give his absolute best after a frustrating season under Antonio Conte.
The Belgium international has so far made eight Premier League appearances for the Blues, scoring 7 goals and providing 3 assists along the way. He is averaging 2.9 shots per game which is a tad above his overall 2017/18 average with a notably improved pass success percentage of 86.7% compared to last season’s 83.6%, according to Who Scored.
Maurizio Sarri’s free-flowing football style appears to fit Belgium perfectly. Eden Hazard is thriving in a roaming role he’s been assigned and is making the most of all the freedom he’s been given by the Italian boss. He’s been a crucial cog in Chelsea’s machine and was vital in Blues’ unbeaten start in all competitions.
Chelsea Getting Real with Real Madrid
Contrary to Chelsea’s impressive start to the season, Real Madrid have struggled to cope without Cristiano Ronaldo who joined Juventus this summer. Los Blancos have yet to score a single goal in their four matches ahead of the international break, whereas they lost three of those games.
Despite the struggle, former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon still found some time to deal with the Eden Hazard subject by claiming that Belgian is being held at Chelsea against his wish.
“There is no point having a player with you if he doesn’t want to be there. Slavery was abolished a long time ago,” he said in an interview with BeIN Sports.
Chelsea’s response to such claims is a reported new contract for Eden Hazard which would keep him at Stamford Bridge beyond 2020 which is the year his current deal expires in. The player has downplayed the Real Madrid rumours himself by claiming there is no problem with him not going to Spain, even claiming that he wouldn’t mind finishing his career in London.
“I can finish with Chelsea. What happens in the future, I will be happy, so that’s it,” Hazard told Sky Sports ahead of the Manchester United clash Chelsea stand at 3/4 betting odds to win.
The Blues will do whatever it takes to keep the Belgian and are said to be preparing a deal that could make him the highest-paid player in Blues history.
Would money be enough to put out the Spanish fire burning inside him though?
- Soccer News Like
- Be the first of your friends!
