Chelsea to Reportedly Offer Eden Hazard New Contract Amid Real Madrid Rumours

Chelsea will reportedly offer Eden Hazard a new contract including a weekly wage of £300,000 in an attempt to keep him at the club this summer.

According to Paul Rowan of the Sunday Times, the Blues are desperate to tie down Hazard to a new deal. He has just under two years remaining on his contract, and Real Madrid are said to be keen on signing the Belgium international.

New Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri recently revealed he gave Hazard permission to return to training late following his heroics for his country at the FIFA World Cup.

"I talked with him [on Thursday], but we didn't talk about his future," Sarri said, per Tom Hopkinson of the Sunday Mirror. "We talked only about, 'Can I arrive on Monday instead of Sunday?' At this moment, there is no problem for Hazard."

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As Hopkinson noted, talks regarding Hazard's future are planned. The player hinted during the World Cup he was considering a move away from Chelsea, saying: "It might be time to discover something different."

Since then, links with Real Madrid have been consistent, especially after Los Blancos lost record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo in July. As Kristof Terreur of Het Laatste Nieuws reported, there have been some talks between the player and the European champions:

Hazard has spent six seasons at Chelsea and has been a major success at the club. He's been key to two Premier League title wins, one FA Cup triumph and an EFL Cup success too. 

As well as being a winner, Hazard has been a joy to watch at Stamford Bridge. Whether playing as a forward or from the flanks, he's an exceptional performer, able to take the ball in almost any situation, wriggle free and find a team-mate.

There's an end product too. Hazard netted 12 goals and made four assists in a Chelsea team that struggled for much of the previous campaign. WhoScored.com highlighted that Hazard is one of the trickiest players in European football:

He knits together Chelsea's attack, and losing him would be an enormous blow. With that in mind, it's tough to argue against the sums the Blues are reportedly ready to offer him.

Still, journalist Dan Levene believes Chelsea could have done a little more to get this one resolved:

While interest from Madrid will worry Chelsea supporters, it would be a huge surprise if the club sold Hazard this summer. With the transfer window due to close on Thursday, the Blues would have minimal time to draft in any replacement for their star man.

You sense any contract offer would be with a view to staving off interest in Hazard in January or next summer. However, if Madrid are keen and the player wants the move, getting Hazard to commit to another long-term deal with Chelsea may represent a challenge.