Eden Hazard inevitably linked with move to European giants

It’s happening again.

There are always two sides to the coin for Chelsea fans when Eden Hazard captures his most dazzling form. They obviously love it – the sight of the Belgian masterfully eluding challenges and generally being the creative fulcrum of the side is the best thing for getting them to their feet.

Of course, there is always a lurking sense of fear that the vultures will start to circle.

Sure enough, after another sparkling display on Saturday against Newcastle, a story emerges linking Hazard with Real Madrid. It’s certainly not the first time this has happened. Hazard has long been a top transfer target for the Spanish giants, but The Times are now reporting that the 26-year-old is stalling on a new £300,000-a-week contract at Stamford Bridge in the hope of eventually securing a move to Real.

It’s a worrying sign for the Premier League champions as Hazard’s compatriot and Blues teammate Thibaut Courtois has also put his contract talks on hold. Although Hazard is said to be happy in London, he wants to keep his options open for the future, with two-and-a-half years still to run on his current deal.

Eden Hazard for Chelsea in 2017/18:

13 starts
8 goals
6 assists

Outstanding. pic.twitter.com/hpXJxPFTEP

— Hazard Stuff (@HazardStuff_) December 2, 2017

Real manager Zinedine Zidane is said to be a driving force in the club’s interest in Hazard, with the Frenchman keen to add quality to his squad after an indifferent campaign which sees Madrid fourth in La Liga, eight points behind Barcelona. The higher-ups at Madrid are also thought to be losing patience with Gareth Bale, who can’t seem to shake his injury woes.

Hazard fuelled speculation over his long-term future when he spoke of his ‘admiration’ for Real in November during an interview with French television station Canal +.

“When I feel the desire to leave, I’ll leave. But, for now, I’m a Blue. We know the admiration that I have for Real, but I’m at Chelsea. Every year things were said about me but I stayed.”

Chelsea face Real’s city rivals Atletico at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night in the Champions League.

The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10