Eden Hazard to snub Real Madrid for bumper new Chelsea contract - EXCLUSIVE

Posted Sunday, January 07, 2018 by Express.co.uk

Eden Hazard to snub Real Madrid for bumper new Chelsea contract - EXCLUSIVE
Eden Hazard is set to pen a new deal at Chelsea

EDEN HAZARD is set to snub a move to Real Madrid and sign a deal that will make him the highest paid player in the Premier League.

The Belgium international has been stalling on putting pen to paper on a £300,000 a week deal in the hope that it would help him seal a switch to Real.

He is a long term target for Real boss Zinedine Zidane but the top brass at the Bernabeu are reluctant to shell out around £120 million to take him to Spanish capital.

The Blues have been locked in talks with Hazard and his advisors since the summer in a bid to agree a new contract to make him the best paid player in the country.

Chelsea are keen to agree an extension with Hazard despite his current deal at Stamford Bridge set to run out in June 2020 in a bid to dampen links to the Spanish giants.

Antonio Conte could get a double boost with Hazard revealing that he and Thibaut Courtois, another Real target, are fighting to become the first to pen a new deal.

"I don't know who'll be the first to sign a new deal. That's a secret," said Hazard.

Meawhile, after failing with a move in the summer, Chelsea have finally completed a £15million deal for Ross Barkley.

Barkley hasn't played a minute of football this season but Conte is hoping the midfielder makes a swift return to action.

"He had a bad injury and has not played for seven months. We have to hope to recover him very quickly and have him for the rest of the season," Conte said.

"He is very strong physically with great technique.

"It is important to understand when he can recover from his injury."