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LONDON: Midfielder Eden Hazard tried to play down speculation that he is about to move away from Stamford Bridge by describing how settled he feels with his Chelsea “family.”
The Belgium international scored 17 goals and provided five assists to help Chelsea win the English Premier League title and reach the FA Cup final last season.
Media reports have linked the playmaker, who joined Chelsea in 2012, with a big money move to Spanish champions Real Madrid but Hazard said he feels at home at Stamford Bridge.
“I like this club because it’s a family,” Hazard told the club’s website (www.chelseafc.com)
“I have a lot of friends and we all talk to each other. I’ve been here five years now and I’m so happy. I’m at one of the best clubs in the world, so I’m very happy to play for such a big club as this.”
Hazard’s exploits led to him being named Chelsea’s Player of the Year for the third time in five years at the club, as they lost just five league matches to seal the title and Hazard is hoping for more success next season.
“Hopefully next year it is the same, we win the league and then I win Player of the Year,” Hazard said.
“Obviously winning the league is what we want most, and this award is just a bonus.”
Chelsea host Burnley in their first match of the 2017-18 league campaign and travel to Wembley to face last year’s runnersup Tottenham Hotspur, a week later.
Meanwhile, Olympique Lyonnais are expecting competition from various clubs as they hold “advanced talks” to sign midfielder Bertrand Traore from Chelsea, the Ligue 1 team’s president Jean-Michel Aulas said.
The 21-year-old, who made 12 appearances for Chelsea in the 2015-16 season, was loaned out to Ajax Amsterdam last season, where he scored 13 goals to help them reach the Europa League final and finish second in the Dutch league.
“We want to bring Bertrand Traore to the club,” Aulas told reporters at a press conference to unveil the club’s newly signed defender Fernando Marcal.
“There are advanced talks there, but many clubs are interested. We absolutely want to do the deal.”
The Burkina Faso international signed a new three-year contract at Chelsea in 2016. Reuters