Chelsea will offer Hazard

Talks to resume with midfielder in new year Courtois deal a priority with Barkley bid likely

Chelsea will resume contract talks with Eden Hazard in the new year and are aiming to make it second time lucky by signing Ross Barkley from Everton in January.

Hazard’s father Thierry cast doubt over his son’s Chelsea future by claiming he had rejected a contract offer while he waits to see if Real Madrid bid for him.

But Chelsea are yet to make Hazard a firm contract offer, despite holding talks over a new deal for their star player, whose current deal runs to 2020.

Negotiations will reopen in the new year, when Chelsea will make the midfielder an offer in excess of £300,000 a week in the hope he recommits himself to the club past 2020. “If you are in a great club and you trust in the club and the ambition of the club, I think it’s right to stay,” said head coach Antonio Conte, whose team entertain Stoke City tomorrow.

Hazard’s situation is less pressing than that of Thibaut Courtois, who Chelsea have offered to make the best paid goalkeeper in the world with a new contract worth over £200,000 a week.

Courtois will only have a year remaining on his current deal at the end of this season, which is why Chelsea are hoping to reach an agreement with him next month.

There is also the January transfer window for Chelsea to get through before they focus all of their energy on agreeing a new contract with Hazard.

Conte has reiterated the fact he is not in control of Chelsea’s transfer business, but that should not stop the club being active, nor should the news that the club made an operating loss for the year they were out of the Champions League. Although the figure of their loss has