Florent Malouda Urges Eden Hazard To Stay Put With Chelsea

Former Chelsea winger Florent Malouda has urged Eden Hazard to stay with Chelsea beyond the summer transfer window. The Belgian currently has a contract with the Blues until June 2020, but he has still been linked with a summer departure with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain said to be interested in his services.

Speaking to RTBF, Malouda highlighted Hazard’s importance to the west London giants, and believes the Belgian should stay with the club during their tough situation, he said: “Chelsea can give him the means to match his ambitions. It’s always when things aren’t going well that speculation arises. He needs to assume his status of leader at Chelsea or elsewhere. However, it’s a personal decision.

“If he feels he’s done everything, it’s better for him to leave. These days, it’s great that players don’t leave when things become difficult. Eden should leave after a major trophy like the Champions League.Chelsea need a player of his class. He can play in all the clubs in the world. He loves the pressure and assumes it. He’s a prodigy, but Chelsea need him.”

Despite the constant speculation, Hazard has previously clarified that he would not consider a summer exit from Stamford Bridge. Real Madrid, in particular, offer the Belgian with a strong chance of lifting the Champions League title in the future, but the Belgian has stressed his ambition of winning the same with Chelsea before pursuing a fresh challenge elsewhere.

Chelsea returned to winning ways last weekend with a 3-2 comeback triumph over Southampton in the Premier League, and this has maintained their slender chance of finishing in the Champions League positions. The Blues are currently seven points behind fourth-placed Tottenham with five games left in the season, and they are still dependent on either Spurs or Liverpool going through a major collapse before the end of the campaign. Chelsea have an away league game at Burnley on Thursday night.