Hazard won’t commit future to Chelsea
EDEN HAZARD has revealed for the first time he is prepared to wait until the end of the season before he makes a decision on his Chelsea future.
Hazard reached a century of goals for the club when scoring twice in a 2-1 win at Watford on Wednesday, and gave fans hope when he spoke of going down in history with legends such as John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.
He has only 18 months left on his contract, however, and is aware of long-standing interest from Real Madrid.
‘I will see at the end of the season,’ said Hazard, when asked about his future. ‘I am just focused on the pitch.’
Chelsea must convince him to stay and it will boil down to more than the size of his new contract.
Hazard wants to be back in the Champions League and will look for signs of ambition from his club, at a time when owner Roman Abramovich has withdrawn plans for a new stadium after being refused a visa to work in the UK.
The January transfer market could prove crucial, with Chelsea trying to strike a deal to sign Gonzalo Higuain, a signing which will have clear implications for Hazard.
The Belgian does not mind playing centre forward, a position where he has been deployed in the last four Premier League games, but he prefers to play wide.
‘My position is winger,’ said Hazard after the win at Vicarage Road. ‘I feel better as a winger, but I can play well as a striker, like against Watford and Brighton.
‘So the manager chooses where to put me on the pitch and then I try to do my best.’
Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri, who converted Dries Mertens from a winger to a striker at Napoli, has settled on Hazard as his ‘false nine’.
‘Dries is more of a striker than me,’ said Hazard. ‘I am more a playmaker. I like to touch the ball. Dries just wants to stay in the box. That’s why he scores a lot of goals.
‘We are different but I know Sarri likes to change some positions.’
Higuain, who is on loan at AC Milan from Juventus, worked successfully with Sarri at Napoli.
At 31, he does not represent any resale value but if Chelsea can sign the Argentine it might prove they are trying to satisfy not only the manager but also the star player who will be released to operate again in his preferred role.
Hazard added: ‘I score more goals, but I don’t feel I play better.’