Chelsea forward Eden Hazard has refuelled Real Madrid rumours after admitting he does not “want any regrets” as his Blues contract winds down.
The 27-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Los Blancos in the summer but decided to stay at Stamford Bridge, unlike fellow Belgian Thibaut Courtois.
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Hazard’s Chelsea contract is up in 18 months making his transfer value drop rapidly.
In the summer, Hazard admitted he was unsure about whether he would stay at Chelsea.
At the start of the season, Hazard’s father claimed the 27-year-old may never play for Madrid.
Hazard started the season as if there were no rumours at all and has seven goals and eight assists in 15 Premier League games.
The Belgian has been directly involved in 45.45% of Chelsea’s Premier League goals this season.
He said: “The family is in London, I’m also going to be 28. I do not want to have any regrets at the end of my career.
“It’s a decision I’m going to make, I do not know when, but I’ll make it.
“As I said, I’m already finishing this year with Chelsea, I still have a year of contract after this year.”
The Belgian, who currently has the most assists in the Premier League this season with eight, also spoke about his relationship with Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri as well as his feelings towards Real Madrid.
He added: “Maurizio Sarri is a new coach but he thinks about the game of football like me, so we’ll see.
“You know me, I’ve always loved Real Madrid, even before Zinedine Zidane was manager. We’ll see what happens.”
So far this season, Hazard has had a direct contribution to 15 of Chelsea’s Premier League goals, scoring seven and recording eight assists. This has helped push them up the table into fourth place, ahead of Arsenal on goal difference.
Those 15 goals count for 45.45% of Chelsea’s overall tally so the influence Hazard has had on the side is clear to see.
What isn’t so clear is who will fill his creative boots should he make the switch from Stamford Bridge to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Chelsea’s next top scorer in the Premier League is Alvaro Morata who isn’t far behind on five goals. However, with zero assists, we can see that his impact isn’t as spread out as Hazard’s.
The former Real Madrid striker is also still doubted when leading the line at Chelsea which would suggest that if Hazard leaves, it may take more than one signing to replace him.