Eden Hazard Reveals Why He's 'Taking His Time' Over Signing New Contract Amid Transfer Interest
Chelsea forward Eden Hazard has revealed he is "taking his time" over making a decision on his long-term future at Stamford Bridge, insisting he wants to see the club sign "good players" before he signs a new contract.
The Blues have failed to reach the Champions League through their Premier League position this year, and Hazard has been continuously linked with a big-money transfer out of London this summer. Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid have been noted long-term suitors, but thus far the Belgian has resisted talk of a move away.
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While admitting he is a big fan of Los Blancos coach Zinedine Zidane, the Champions League finalists are believed to have prioritised signing other targets - namely Neymar - with Hazard's name on the back-burner of late.
As reported by the Guardian, Hazard has now for the first time left the door ajar to potentially leave Chelsea this summer, but has admitted he wants to see the club commit in the transfer market before making any big decisions himself.
Asked whether his next contract will see him through the prime years of his career, he said: “That’s why I’m taking my time,” he said. “It’s something big, so I need to think about a lot of things. But one thing is for sure: I’m happy here.
“I’m waiting for new players next season. I want good players, because I want to win the Premier League next season."
Hazard will play in this weekend's FA Cup final against Manchester United, but continued: “Like I’ve said many times before, I think the FA Cup final is not my last game for Chelsea. It’s the last game of the season, that’s it. After the World Cup then we will be ready for the next season. But, for me in my mind, I’m here. I have one week to play now. Saturday is a massive game, I just want to win, for me and them also.
“We are Chelsea and we need a trophy at the end of the season and, at the moment, we have nothing,” Hazard said. “We have not qualified for the Champions League, so this season has been bad. Now we can save a little bit this season, with this trophy. So we will give everything.
“I don’t know [why it has been so bad this season]. It’s always hard after when you win the league. We saw that two years ago. This season was not good but you know – this is Chelsea. You never know what’s happening. But, no, I think this year we dropped too many points at Stamford Bridge. In this condition you can’t be in the top four, so it’s up to us now to save the season with the FA Cup.
“We’ve had bad games, but also played a fantastic game against Liverpool recently, so I hope for Saturday the boys will be ready like we were against Liverpool last week. If we play all together, we can do something, especially against Manchester United.”
