If Conte can keep Hazard from Real Madrid, then Chelsea are going right to the top

If Conte can keep Hazard from Real Madrid, then Chelsea are going right to the top

Fans are closing in on the relief of the return of domestic football this weekend as the international break comes to an end having starved us of entertaining football for a tortuous fortnight.

However, before the Blues get back to their Premier League title charge, the powers that be will have to deal with the barrage of rumours stemming from Spain surrounding the future of star man Eden Hazard.

The Belgium international, who has been back to his exhilarating best under Antonio Conte after a poor showing last season,  is supposedly top of the list for Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane this summer.

Spanish newspaper Marca, who would back Madrid over anything, have gone big over the weekend, handing the Chelsea forward double spreads in their last two editions, seemingly confident that he is bound for the Santiago Bernabeu.

Of course, losing a player of the former Lille man’s calibre would be devastating, however, there are few Blues fans who would begrudge Hazard for making the move to the current Champions League holders.

Eden Hazard

With plenty of reports out there suggesting that Galactio playmaker James Rodriguez could be on his way to Stamford Bridge as part of the deal, Conte would certainly have an adequate replacement on his hands, however, keeping hold of Hazard could do a lot more for the club than just retaining his talent.

Should Roman Abramovich and his Italian manager be able to convince their main man to stay put in west London, over a move to the Spanish capital and one of the most sought after clubs in the world, they will send a signal to those clubs around them that, despite looking likely to be crowned Premier League champions – itself a huge achievement – something bigger is going on.

With the plans to redevelop their famous home, a new era for the London club is on the horizon, an era which could see them really establish themselves amongst Europe’s elite on a permanent basis. Part of that step up, of course, is keeping some of the best talents in the world in a Chelsea shirt.

If the powers that be at Stamford Bridge can pitch their project to the likes of Hazard in such a way that he his happy to rebuff Zindane’s approaches they will be in the ideal position to kick on and really make their mark on Europe once again, starting in the Champions League next season.