Chelsea legend Dennis Wise believes Champions League football and the signing of quality players will make Eden Hazard stay at Stamford Bridge.
With just 18 months left to run in Hazard’s current deal with the west London side, Chelsea have swiftly offered the Belgian forward a new contract that reportedly would make him the club’s best-paid player. Head coach Maurizio Sarri also reiterated his desire to keep the 27-year-old at west London and has revealed that the club is holding contract talks with Hazard every week.
However, the Chelsea talisman is yet to put pen to paper following the admission that he is considering a possible transfer to La Liga club Real Madrid.
With the club’s most important player in recent seasons reluctant to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge, former Blues favourite Wise has outlined the conditions that Chelsea must achieve in order to get Hazard’s signature. The former Chelsea midfielder states that the club must prove their ambition by securing qualification for the Champions League as well as acquiring ‘quality’ players.
“It’s very important to keep him,” said the ex-Blues favourite. “I think from a Chelsea point of view if they want to win trophies they need to keep Hazard. It’s very important because he’s such a quality player. Every Chelsea fan would love to keep him and hopefully we can tie him up for longer.
“But the important thing from Hazard’s point of view is what other personnel comes in at Chelsea Football Club and whether they can get back into the Champions League. He wants to play Champions League football – he hasn’t this year – but if they can get that spot for next year and add a couple of top quality players then it can [help] change his mind.
“He’d know then that the club can compete because at this moment Manchester City and Liverpool are in front.”
