It seemed like a sure thing that Belgian midfielder Eden Hazard would leave Chelsea before the start of the season. The 27-year-old himself said after the 2018 World Cup that he is ready for new challenges and hinted at the possibility of signing with another club. But now, Hazard seemed to have changed his mind.
Speaking with a reporter after the 3-2 win over Arsenal on Saturday, he assured everyone that he is “happy” at Chelsea and won’t leave the club; at least not this year.
“Everybody knows what I have said after the World Cup. But I’m happy here,” – said Hazard. “A lot has been said. A lot of stupidity too. But at the moment I’m happy.”
“I have two years left on my contract, and we’ll see what happens. Leaving this year? I won’t go,” – he added. “The transfer market in England is closed. Clubs can still sell players, but not sign new ones anymore. It would be a bit strange that they would sell me now while they can’t sign a replacement. We could see today that fans love me. I’m fine here. We’ll see what happens in a year or two.“
Eden Hazard is on the radar of Real Madrid for several years now, and it looked like the La Liga giants will finally pull the trigger this summer after losing Cristiano Ronaldo. There were also talks that Barcelona could make a move for Hazard as well, but that never materialized.
Now, Chelsea is keen on giving Hazard a contract extension and is ready to pay him the club’s highest paid player with around $385,000 per week.
Eden Hazard played 302 games and scored 89 goals for Chelsea since coming from Lille in 2012 while winning five trophies.
