Eden Hazard Says He 'Always Said No' to PSG Despite Repeated Approaches

Signing for Paris Saint-Germain was not something Eden Hazard ever seriously considered, and the Real Madrid winger said he turned down advances from Les Parisiens on more than one occasion. 

Hazard described to L'Equipe (h/t Marca) how his ties to Lille always prevented him from consenting to PSG's interest: "They often tried to recruit me, but I didn't want to return to Ligue 1 unless it was to join Lille. I always said no to them. It was clear in my mind that if I were to return to France it would be with Lille."

Hazard's ties to Lille run deep after he helped the club win a double comprised of the Ligue 1 title and Coupe de France during the 2010/11 season. He was the star turn in a loaded team helmed by progressive coach Rudi Garcia.

Former PSG midfielder Yohan Cabaye pulled the strings in the middle, while Gervinho and Moussa Sow offered cutting edge up top. Yet it was Hazard who often made the difference with his vision, flair and trickery.

His performances eventually earned him a move to Chelsea in 2012. The Belgian's career with the Blues proved to be a fruitful one, yielding two UEFA Europa League triumphs and UEFA Champions League, League Cup and FA Cup trophies, as well as a pair of Premier League titles.

Hazard left Stamford Bridge in the summer, joining Los Blancos in a deal worth an initial €100 million. He hasn't quite hit the heights he reached at his previous clubs, but Hazard has been slowly getting up to speed with life in the Spanish capital.

He only has a goal and two assists to show for his efforts in all competitions, but he has been offering tantalising glimpses of the wizardry he's been defined by throughout his career:

While Hazard can be counted on to eventually come good for Real, it's little wonder PSG wanted to make the classy wide player the focal point of their team. The Parc des Princes club were keen in 2018, even amid concerns about meeting UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations.

Hazard's assertion he would only go back to the French top flight to rejoin Lille has to please the club fifth in Ligue 1. It will be interesting to see if Hazard's words stoke up the rivalry between Lille and PSG when the two meet in the French capital on Friday.

Lille are attempting to qualify for the Champions League next season, but it's a task made harder by assistant manager Joao Sacramento and goalkeeping chief Nuno Santos jumping ship to join Jose Mourinho at Tottenham Hotspur.

The moves haven't been welcomed by Lille manager Christophe Galtier, who said sarcastically, per Matt Maltby of the Daily Mirror: "Everyone has their own way of doing things. But it's really classy. Really classy to act like that."

Galtier also played down suggestions sporting director Luis Campos will also move to north London: "Luis is 200 percent invested in the project and I don't see a 1000th of a wish to look elsewhere."

While Lille are attempting to hold things together ahead of the trip to PSG, Hazard is preparing to step up his performances for Los Merengues, starting with Saturday's game at home to Real Sociedad.