Chelsea still have one more match to play this season, but the Europa League Final won’t change Eden Hazard‘s mind about Real Madrid.
Eden Hazard has played like Chelsea’s talisman all season long, but that doesn’t mean he’s staying at Stamford Bridge next season. The electric Belgian attacker claims he decided whether or not he wanted to stay with the Premier League club several weeks ago.
In other words, Hazard’s future won’t be impacted by Chelsea’s upcoming match against Arsenal to claim the Europa League title. The prolific goal scorer told the media after Sunday’s 0-0 draw against Leicester City that he’s already made his decision. Furthermore, according to The Daily Star he insists that he’s “waiting” just like Chelsea fans to learn exactly where he’ll play next year.
Hazard’s comments don’t bode well for Chelsea fans hoping Hazard will extend his stay with the club. If he were committed to the idea of staying in London, it would have been logical for him to clue the world in about his intentions after the Leicester match. The fact that he didn’t declare his affection for Chelsea would seem to indicate he wants to play his football elsewhere next season.
There’s little mystery about the identity of that club. Rumours connecting Hazard with a move to Real Madrid have been running rampant all season long. The appointment of Zinedine Zidane in the Spanish capital seems to indicate the club will have lots of money to spend this summer. Hazard is just the type of player who should be a the top of the La Liga club’s shopping list.
Even if Hazard has told Chelsea officials of his desire to leave, the Blues still need to play hard ball with Real Madrid. The fact that the Blues will almost certainly be prevented from making any signings of their own this summer certainly complicates matters. It’s not as if Chelsea can go out and make a big purchase to fill the potential void left by Hazard’s departure.
Still, it’s difficult to imagine Chelsea holding on to the player against his will. The most likely scenario is that the Blues will drive a hard bargain in terms of his transfer fee, but ultimately they’ll let the Belgian star leave. Hazard’s potential departure will certainly mean the dawn of a new era at Stamford Bridge.