Antonio Conte’s Chelsea are doing well to keep the pressure on at the top of the PL table, as they stand in the 3rd place, 11 points off Manchester City, the league leaders. The manager will not be too unhappy with the way things are going at the moment at the club but he is expected to have a few problems, come the end of the season.
There are a few problems in the squad that need to be solved, starting with depth in certain areas but if this recent report is to be believed, Conte might have a bigger problem to worry about next summer.
The story claims that Hazard, whose deal with Chelsea expires in 2020, is stalling on a new deal, as he is reportedly interested in a move to Real Madrid. Zinedine Zidane, Real’s manager is a long-term admirer of the Belgian and is expected to go all in to land him at the end of the season but Chelsea want to tie him to a new deal, which will see him earn £300,000-a-week.
However, it is understood that the 26-year old wants to wait until the end of the season to take a decision on his future. It is clear that he is interested in a move to Spain and Chelsea will have to work hard to keep him at the club. So is it time for them to look for replacements?
Arguably the best playmaker in England at the moment, Hazard remains the most-fouled player in the Premier League, since his move to the Bridge and is one player not many defenders would want to face.
An excellent dribbler who is hard to mark, the Belgian is capable of winning games single-handedly, even when it is not his day and is a player who belongs at the highest level. He helped the Blues win two league titles in the last three years and will always be remembered as one of the best players to have played in the English capital.
He has shown no signs of slowing down this season, and has five goals and two assists in 12 league games. He is one of the first names on the team sheet for Conte this season and is almost impossible to replace in the current transfer market.
He will surely fetch an enormous amount in the transfer market if sold and Conte could re-invest it in some star players but at the moment, it is imperative that he does what it takes to keep him at the club, as there are not many names available in the transfer market, that can replicate what he has done at the Bridge.
The best players always dream of playing for the biggest clubs but with Chelsea seeing decent success in recent times, it might not be too tough for the Blues to hold on to their prized possession. But do you think Hazard will be a Blue come the start of the next season?
