How Chelsea have answered Hazard’s demands — for now

Over the summer Eden Hazard hinted at a possible Chelsea exit, but with new signings and a style to suit him, staying may now be an attractive proposition.

In the wake of Belgium’s final World Cup fixture, Eden Hazard took an unprecedented step in casting a dark cloud over his Chelsea future. Real Madrid’s interest in the Belgian had for a long time been one of soccer’s worst kept secrets, but Hazard’s willingness to depart Chelsea was a novelty. “It might be time to try something different … you all know my preferred destination,” he said.

At the time, safe money was on Hazard donning the famous white strip before the window closed. After all, few can resist the lure of the Bernabeu. But fast forward 53 days and Hazard remains a Chelsea player. There is of course considerable uncertainty surrounding the Belgian’s contract situation, but events since the World Cup suggest there is far less cause for concern than optimism.

One of Hazard’s strongest grievances appeared to be the club’s unwillingness to showcase any ambition in the transfer market — a perfectly reasonable complaint when one’s board deems it wise to offload the integral Nemanja Matic to a bitter rival and replace him with the remarkably incompetent Tiemoue Bakayoko. When one factors Diego Costa’s forced exile into the equation, Hazard’s decision to wait for “good players, because I want to win the Premier League” is entirely understandable.

But the good news for Chelsea is that good players have arrived, and Hazard has noticed. “It’s not so different from the past,” he said after Chelsea’s win against Bournemouth. “The big difference is we bring two players — Jorginho and Kovacic — and they are completely different.” Considering his humble, modest personality, the phrase “completely different” might accurately be translated as “a lot better.”

Indeed, it doesn’t take a genius to notice the on-field chemistry between Hazard and Kovacic down the left of Chelsea’s offensive phase, nor is it hard to spot the composure, intelligence and distribution that Jorginho brings to the base of midfield. Throw N’Golo Kante into the mix and there are few more complete midfields in Europe. Many doubts surrounding the quality in Chelsea’s squad have been extinguished, and Hazard knows it.

The other issue was Hazard’s dismay at the negative, backward-looking philosophy that began to fester during Antonio Conte’s final season at the helm, which came to a head in a 1-0 loss to Manchester City at the Etihad. “When you leave the pitch you have the impression that you’ve ran, but that you haven’t played a game of football,” Hazard was quoted saying after that match. “We could have played on for three hours and I wouldn’t touch the ball.” If he felt a degree of envy toward those playing in light blue that day, then few could blame him.

And this damning verdict from the club’s prized asset can only have added considerable weight to the case for replacing Conte with Maurizio Sarri, a manager renowned for his exciting, progressive Sarrismo. In just four games, a philosophy that is almost tailor-made for Hazard’s skill set has emerged, and the Belgian appears to be relishing it.

Rather than living off snippets of possession and long balls, Hazard is operating as the focal point of a team boasting remarkable possession statistics — 73 percent against Bournemouth and a staggering 81 percent against Newcastle. For Hazard, a man that likes “to have the ball, not in my own half, but in the last 30 meters,” this is a new and exciting luxury that he makes no attempt to hide; “I like this type of game, it’s completely different from Antonio Conte or Mourinho before.”

What’s more, having shared a dressing room over the summer with compatriot Dries Mertens, a man who saw exponential improvement under Sarri at Napoli, Hazard will be all too aware of the personal heights he could hit. If Mertens went from five Serie A goals in 2015-16 to 28 the following year, one can only imagine the damage that Hazard, a vastly superior player, could inflict. And although it’s too early in the season to be identifying trends, two goals and two assists in as many starts is surely a taste of things to come.

Yet it’s important to inject a dose of realism into the situation. As content as Hazard seems, the fact remains that come summer, there is just one year left on his deal. If, by then, the Belgian is still leaning toward a move to Spain, he’ll be in the driving seat to secure it. And although Hazard possesses a far better grasp of decency, the recent behavior of Thibaut Courtois stands as an unpleasant reminder of how powerful a bargaining position players approaching their final year of contract have.

Naturally, much shall rest upon Chelsea making their way back into the Champions League. Results generally outweigh all other variables in football. But for now, with the Belgian’s needs, and indeed the clubs’, satisfied by the new arrivals and Sarri’s fresh approach, the powers that be at Chelsea can feel a little more hopeful of holding onto Hazard.