Eden Hazard, not Chelsea, will decide if he will move to Real Madrid this summer, according to former Real president Ramon Calderon.
Chelsea insist Hazard is happy at Stamford Bridge and is settled in London with his young family. He is under contract until June 2020.
But Madrid’s perennial interest has resurfaced, with speculation again linking Hazard with a switch to the Bernabeu.
And Calderon reckons a player has the power to force through a move if that is his wish and Real would be prepared to pay a world record fee in the region of £100 million (Dh461m).
Calderon told TalkSPORT’s Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show: “Chelsea aren’t a selling club, so it wouldn’t be easy, but as always it would depend on the wishes of the player. If he wants to leave, he will leave – that’s always the point.
“It’s all about the player. The player must say, ‘I want to leave and go to Real Madrid’, and that will be the moment they start negotiating.”
The Belgium playmaker has been rejuvenated under manager Antonio Conte as Chelsea have taken a 10-point lead with 10 Premier League games to go.
Conte has repeatedly said contracts and the future of his players will be discussed at the end of the season.
Hazard, who joined Chelsea from Lille in 2012, looked up to Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane when he was growing up.
He was linked with Madrid after Chelsea’s 2014/15 title success, but his poor performances last term and Madrid’s transfer embargo meant speculation subsided – until now.
Calderon added: “Chelsea will ask for a lot of money, I think that’s what the situation will be at the end of the season.
“Chelsea knows quite well how much has been paid in the market over the last few years, with [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Gareth] Bale and [Paul] Pogba – £100m is now the bar.
“That bar has been set by those transfers, so I think that’s how much a club like Chelsea would be asking for and the economy at Real Madrid is healthy – I don’t think that wouldn’t be a problem for them.”
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has also been linked with a switch to Real, while forward James Rodriguez and striker Alvaro Morata, who had a spell at Conte’s former club Juventus, have been the subject of speculation over moves to Chelsea.
Iheanacho: City must take fight to Arsenal
Manchester City will need to show the same fighting spirit they produced against Liverpool when they visit Arsenal in a Premier League clash on Sunday, striker Kelechi Iheanacho has said.
The 20-year-old forward said his side took plenty of positives from the battling 1-1 draw with Liverpool in their last league game and are determined to pick up their 11th away victory of the season at the Emirates.
“We need a win there. It’s a good team, so we need to fight hard to get three points,” the Nigerian international told the club website ahead of third-placed City’s trip to their sixth-placed rivals. “We are in a good situation. We played well against Liverpool and showed good character. We are in a good position in the Premier League, we keep fighting and focus on the next games.”
Manager Pep Guardiola, who joined Man City at the start of the season, signed Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus to boost his attacking options with their arrival limiting Iheanacho to just eight starts this campaign.
The Nigerian, however, said he is constantly improving by being around “great players” and is ready to answer the call whenever he is presented with an opportunity to shine.
“I’m very happy and very grateful to be in this team,” he added. “I keep working hard every day and when I get my chance I have to prove to everyone I need to be in the squad.”
Man City defeated Arsenal 2-1 at home in December and have an opportunity to go 10 points clear of the North London club with a win on Sunday.
Coutinho unconcerned by ‘improved’ Everton ahead of derby
Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho cannot see his side slipping below local rivals Everton by the end of the season as the teams gear up for a Premier League Merseyside derby on Saturday.
Everton, three places behind their fourth-placed city rivals in the league table, can cut the gap to just three points with a victory at Anfield.
Coutinho, who is away on international duty with Brazil, said he was concentrating only on Liverpool’s progress.
“I don’t think about [Everton’s form] or worry about that,” Coutinho said. “We will be ready. The derby is a very special match for everyone, the fans and the players.”
Liverpool are unbeaten in Merseyside encounters since 2010 but will face a Ronald Koeman side that have picked up 23 of 30 points since the turn of the year.
Coutinho acknowledged Everton’s recent progress and said it would mean a lot more to the fans if Liverpool could find a way to win the derby.
“We know what it means... this time it is even more because Everton have improved so much in recent weeks,” he added. “We know it won’t be easy but we know we have to win, for our fans, for our morale and for everybody.”
Liverpool have lost just one out of their 14 league games at Anfield this season, scoring 36 goals and conceding 13 in the process.
Swansea’s Sigurdsson deserve greater recognition, says Clement
Swansea City midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson does not get the credit he deserves and would be recognised as one of the Premier League’s best players if the club were higher up the table, manager Paul Clement has said.
With his tally of eight goals and 11 assists, Sigurdsson has played a key role in helping 17th-placed Swansea climb out of the relegation zone.
Clement believes the Iceland international deserves a mention among the league’s top players.
“I think he is more than good enough to be in that discussion, he probably gets overlooked because of the position of the team,” he told British media.
“When teams are lower down in the table, the individual players don’t always get that recognition they deserve, but he is a player that’s done really, really well.”
Clement praised Sigurdsson for putting in extra work on the training pitch, as well as for his professional attitude.
“Every day in training, pushing, extra stuff to work on his technique, his finishing, set plays,” he added.
“He is really alert and attentive in the video meetings, (takes) good care of his body, (a) very good professional.”
Swansea, who have won their last three home games, host 19th-placed Middlesbrough on Sunday and second-placed Tottenham Hotspur three days later.
* Agencies
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