Chelsea Transfer News: Eden Hazard Latest, Diego Costa Rumours

Chelsea forward Eden Hazard has spoken of his admiration for Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane and said he would be open to playing in La Liga at some point in the future.

The winger has been linked with Los Blancos in the past, with The Guardian's Sid Lowe suggesting earlier in the year the Belgian was a target for the European champions.

When asked about a potential move to Spain in an interview with Alberto Rubio and Francisco Villegas of Marca, Hazard said it's something he'd consider in the future:

"At the moment I'm good in England. I play for one of the best teams, but yes, La Liga is special. Why not? Of course for the moment, I'll stay here."

Hazard praised Zidane in the interview, too, highlighting his accomplishments both on the pitch and in the dugout, saying the coach is a "special type" and "magical."

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For someone like Hazard, it's easy to see why Los Blancos would be appealing. Not only would he be working under someone like Zidane, he'd be playing for one of the most exciting attacking teams in the game.

As WhoScored.com noted earlier in the year, Hazard is an exhilarating player to watch when he's at full flight:

Having struggled in 2015-16, last season he was back to his vibrant best as the Blues marched to the Premier League title under Antonio Conte. Hazard was handed more freedom and rewarded his manager with a string of dazzling performances.

It would have been no surprise if those efforts had caught the eye of Real Madrid, as the Chelsea man is one of the most effective forwards around when he's on top of his game. In the months to come, if Hazard continues to perform well, it'd be no surprise to see this type of speculation resurface.

Diego Costa Considering Blue Return

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According to Tony Banks of the Daily Express, Chelsea forward Diego Costa is ready to begin talks that'd potentially see him integrated back into the Blues squad.

"There will have to be a reconciliation between Diego and Chelsea," said a source quoted in the report. "Diego will have to come back to England, because he does not want his career to end with him back in Brazil like this."

As noted in the report, Costa looked poised to move to Atletico Madrid this summer, but a fee was not agreed between the two clubs before the deadline passed. It means, having not been a part of pre-season preparations with Chelsea, he's now in a difficult situation until the January transfer window.

The striker's relationship with Conte appears to be strained; as noted by Banks, it's been said the Blues manager advised the player he had no future at the football club via a text message.

As noted by Squawka Football, the striker has been a tremendous target man during his time with the London club:

It'd be a surprise if Costa did play for Chelsea again following his recent exile. The Blues spent big to sign Alvaro Morata ahead of the 2017-18 season, and he's started the campaign particularly well. Michy Batshuayi, meanwhile, is a brilliant back-up option.

Having spent much of the summer in Brazil, it's unlikely Costa will be match fit for a while yet.