Chelsea star Eden Hazard says he would only consider Real Madrid or PSG move if he gets back to his best

Sticking around: Hazard has vowed to make amends for his poor season before considering leaving Chelsea
BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images
Simon Johnson27 July 2016

Eden Hazard today suggested he will only consider leaving Chelsea if he wins the Premier League or Player of the Year award again.

Hazard was a target for Real Madrid and Paris St Germain this summer, but had no interest in quitting Stamford Bridge after a disappointing campaign.

The Belgium international had his worst season in a Chelsea shirt since joining from Lille for £32m in 2012.

He scored just six times last term (compared to 19 the year before) and some of the fans turned on him as injuries took their toll on his form.

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Without Hazard matching the performances of the previous year - when he was named both PFA and FWA Player of the Year - Chelsea failed to challenge in all four competitions and finished a lowly 10th.

But the 25-year-old is fully committed to putting things right and is not thinking of moving anywhere until he does.

He explained: "I said - after the season like the last one - I wanted to stay at Chelsea because I didn’t want to finish like this.

"When I was in France, I finished my last game (at Lille) with a hat-trick and it was a good time to leave. And if I must leave (Chelsea) one day, I hope I can finish good here and be a champion again.

"I want to be the best (player in England), like I did (in 2014-15). Do I want to win that (Player of the Year) award again? Yes.

"I played a very bad season and it is always important (to recover). Why was it bad? I think it was because I was tired.

"Even when I am not at the maximum level I want to play well, but last season was difficult.

"I was injured, not a big one, but it was not easy to play with a small injury when you play in England because the game is very difficult. But this season I am ready."

Despite his personal struggle for fitness and to play at his best, Hazard is still mystified why Chelsea were so poor last term after winning the league in 2014-15.

Asked why things didn't work out, he added: "I don’t know. We tried to understand why. It’s difficult to say...after the season when we were champions it’s difficult.

"We didn’t start the season well because of injuries and everything seemed to go against Chelsea. It wasn’t easy and wasn’t a good season. We want to forget it. Hopefully we will now have a better season.

"We’ve got to show to everybody we are Chelsea, we’re big players, we’re a big team and we didn’t finish in a good place last season. Now we want to do better and win the Premier League. We need to do this."

Antonio Conte is the fifth different Chelsea manager Hazard has played under in just four years.

But the former Italy coach has already made a positive impact on the Belgium international, who only joined up with the squad on their USA tour on Sunday.

"My first impression of the manager is good," he said. "He talks a lot to the players.

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"We have to prepare tactically and we’ve got some games over here (against Liverpool, Real Madrid and AC Milan) – and hopefully they will show us what we need to do.

"Yes, it's been hard work – but hopefully at the end of the season we can win. We play against Liverpool tonight and in training we give everything - it’s very good for us."

Significantly, when asked if the level of Chelsea's fitness is different to 12 months ago, he added: "Yes, it is different. It’s completely different.

"After the Euros we didn’t get a lot of holiday. We’re not ready yet, but we’re almost ready and can’t wait for the season to start."

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