Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck insists the club will do whatever is required to persuade Eden Hazard to sign a new contract.
The Belgium star is out of contract at the end of next season and has been in no hurry to sign a new one, admitting he is torn between staying at Stamford Bridge and seeking to fulfil his lifelong ambition of playing for Real Madrid.
“Sometimes I wake up in the morning and think I want to go,” Hazard said recently. “Sometimes I think I want to stay. It is a hard decision. It is my future. I will turn 28 in January.”
But Buck was optimistic about Chelsea’s prospects of keeping Hazard, who has been one of the best players in the Premier League this term, leading the scoring charts with seven goals and making three assists.
Buck said: “Every Chelsea fan in London and around the world loves Eden Hazard, and he’s not only a great footballer but I think he’s a wonderful lad.
“We want him to stay and we will do what we have to do to entice him to stay.”
Hazard’s Belgium team-mate Thibaut Courtois joined Real in the summer but Chelsea refused to sell Hazard.
The Blues are back in action after the international break at home to Manchester United on Saturday.
Eden Hazard admitte to feeling “good” at Chelsea in the present, but says “in two months it can be different”.
The Belgium international has been in inspired form for the Blues over the opening weeks of the 2018-19 campaign.
A series of talismanic displays have delivered seven goals across all competitions, with the 27-year-old currently leading the likes of Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot.
He admits that things could not have gone much better on the back of a summer which saw him star at the World Cup and be linked with a big-money move to Real Madrid, but things can change quickly.
Hazard said: “At the moment I’m good but in two months it can be different. I just keep practicing on the pitch, training and we will see what happens.
“If I score I’m good, if I don’t score and I’m playing good, for me it’s perfect. I just need to keep winning games.”
Chelsea are yet to suffer a competitive defeat this season, with Maurizio Sarri having overseen a 10-match unbeaten run after losing the Community Shield to Manchester City.
The Italian is considered to have bought well over the summer, with Hazard pleased with the Blues’ business despite seeing fellow countryman and “best goalkeeper in the world” Thibaut Courtois head for the exits.
“They are top players for sure and Kepa, the goalkeeper – he is a fantastic young goalkeeper with a lot of quality,” added Hazard.