Eden’s not Real deal says Conte

ANTONIO CONTE has told Eden Hazard to focus on fulfilling his potential at Chelsea and forget about Real Madrid.

Hazard’s Stamford Bridge future has again been called into question after the player’s father told a Belgian newspaper the 26-year-old has refused a contract extension in the hope of securing a move to the Bernabeu.

“What I can reveal about Eden is that he refused a contract extension,” Thierry Hazard told Le Soir.

“This was so that, if necessary, he could follow the interest of Real, whom he could see himself playing for.

“But, as of right now, there is no contact from Real Madrid. Eden is only one of the parties involved in his future.” Chelsea maintain no formal offer has been made because the Belgium international still has two and a half years left on his deal and club policy is not to renew so early.

Blues head coach Conte has made it clear he believes the club must do all it can to hold on to its best players, including Hazard and his international teammate Thibaut Courtois, who has also been linked with a move to the La Liga giants.

But the Italian also believes Hazard is not yet the finished article and insists the forward must add more goals to his game if he is to get close to the levels of the world’s best.

And Conte is also convinced the ambitions of player and club can be achieved Hazard staying put. “If you are in a great club and you trust in the club and the ambition of the club, it’s right to stay,” he said. “I’m proud to have him in my team, in my squad, and I’m very happy to work with him. He’s a really good guy and has a lot of space for improvement, to become one of the best players in the world. If you see the stats, you understand that he can score more goals. That is an aspect he can improve.” Comparing Hazard’s output to that of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Conte added: “When you are a striker, or a No10, your speciality must be to score. “In this aspect he has a lot of space for improvement. But don’t forget he’s younger than with these two players you named. My task, and the task for every coach, is to try and improve your players. This is the only way to try to win something.”

Courtois, who has family in Madrid, has yet to agree a new deal and will enter the final year of his contract next June.

Conte added: “You are talking about two important players [Hazard and Courtois] for us.

“It’s very important to try to improve your team, to strengthen your team, and not to sell the best players.”

Conte, whose side face Stoke today, wants to add depth to his squad next month but admits the club’s transfer policy is controlled by others.

He added: “On my hand, the way to improve this team is to work. On the other hand, there is the club and the transfer market. But I can only speak about my hand.”