Eden Hazard’s future at Chelsea seems in severe doubt after the forward admitted he has come to a decision about his next step, with a move to Real Madrid thought to be his preferred option.
“I know what I am going to do. I have made a decision,” Hazard told the French radio station RMC, although he did not elaborate.
The interview was recorded two months ago as part of a documentary about his career, but it was only released this week and may colour the context of the guessing games that have continued to follow Hazard’s every move.
Uncertainty over the 28-year-old Belgian’s plans has been an unwelcome undercurrent to Chelsea’s season. Hazard has publicly admitted being torn between staying at Stamford Bridge and the “dream” switch to Real, a club he referred to in October as “the best club in the world”.
The manager, Maurizio Sarri, said in December that it was “time to decide” the issue but also accepts that his star player should leave if that is his wish. “If he wants to go, he has to go,” Sarri said last week.
The situation is particularly pressing given Hazard’s contract expires in June 2020 and he is yet to entertain new terms. If Real and Hazard are both amenable to a deal then Chelsea are unlikely to stand in his way, although it could take a nine-figure bid to seal his departure.