Chelsea are refusing to budge from their £100m valuation of Eden Hazard, despite reports in the Spanish media that Real Madrid have struck a deal worth £86m for the Blues' talisman.
Maurizio Sarri's side find themselves in a tricky situation in dealing with Hazard's future. The Belgian will have just one year left to run on his contract in the summer, with little indication as yet that the forward will sign fresh terms at Stamford Bridge.
Eden Hazard se acerca a pasos agigantados al Real Madrid: acuerdo inmimente entre las tres partes https://t.co/T9L1tclw2U Informa @jfelixdiaz
— MARCA (@marca) April 5, 2019
The Blues are also entering a transfer ban which prevents them from signing new players in each of the next two transfer windows - meaning they would be unable to replace their prized asset should they opt to cash in this summer.
However, according to the Daily Mail, Chelsea will not buckle under pressure from Real Madrid's tactics to soften their Premier League counterparts' stance. It is said that Los Blancos use newspaper Marca as a means of influencing potential transfer dealings.
It had been suggested in the Spanish press that an agreement had already been reached between the two clubs over an £86m deal - a figure which is significantly south of Chelsea's widely-reported £100m valuation of Hazard.
As far as I know Chelsea and Real Madrid still haven’t reached an agreement over Eden Hazard. There have been contacts between the clubs, but #CFC are still haggling over the price - wanting more than €100m for a player who has only one year left on his contract. https://t.co/fEvPhffHE8
— Kristof Terreur (@HLNinEngeland) April 5, 2019
A report from the Mirror also suggests that Hazard is set to earn a mammoth package worth £350,000 a week if he completes a switch to the Bernabeu, with Los Blancos hoping to tie the Belgian to a six-year deal in the Spanish capital.
The deal would be worth £110m, with the huge financial outlay reflecting Madrid's desperation to lure the superstar forward to join their ranks.
As quoted by the Mirror, Hazard has previously said of Madrid: "Real Madrid is the best club in the world. It is my dream since I was a kid."
Chelsea's appeal against their transfer ban will be heard on Thursday, but even if the sanction is upheld it is expected that Hazard will depart Stamford Bridge, rather than allowing his current deal in west London to run into its final year.
Zinedine Zidane has apparently made Hazard a key target to ignite his revival of Los Blancos next term, and has previously said of the Belgian: "He's a player I have always appreciated. He is fantastic.
"I will not give my personal opinion about what may happen because the season has not ended. He has played in France, I have watched him a lot and I know him personally."
FT: @realmadrid 2-1 @SDEibarEN
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) 6 April 2019
⚽ @Benzema 59, 81'; Cardona 39' #Emirates | #RMLiga pic.twitter.com/kCgwC91GDR
Chelsea will apparently hope that Hazard's exit will pave the way for rising star Callum Hudson-Odoi to finally renew his contract with the Blues.
The England forward is also set to see his current deal expire next summer, with the 18-year-old so far refusing to commit his future to Chelsea due to concerns over his lack of playing time, but Hazard's likely departure would surely open up increased opportunities for the young forward.
Like Hazard, Hudson-Odoi has also attracted attention from elsewhere, with Bayern Munich having seen multiple bids for the prodigious attacker turned down by Chelsea in January, whilst Manchester Untied are also widely reported to be interested.
We are big fans of this new @WeAre_TheShed song for Callum Hudson-Odoi
— Chelsea FC News (@Chelsea_FL) April 6, 2019
⬆ pic.twitter.com/KWs8aBOgPk
However, it is said that Chelsea would not sanction the sales of both attackers, with Hazard seemingly the more likely to depart.
Source : 90min