“I still dream of Real Madrid” - Eden Hazard

The Belgium international Eden Hazard has come out about his future, but reiterated he’s ready to open talks with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich about an improved contract despite a lifelong dream to join Real Madrid.

However, Hazard also revealed there were days when wakes up contemplating to leave and others when he wanted to stay.

In a candid interview, Eden Hazard made it known that he expected to be happy with any outcome and described the club’s football under Maurizio Sarri as the best ever since he signed six years ago.

He also emphasized his intention to avoid a repeat of the “messy” situation when former goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois failed to report for training before eventually getting his move to Real Madrid. Hazard will enter his final 12 months of the contract next year.

“I don’t want that,” Hazard said. “I want what’s good for me, but I want what’s good for the club because the club has given me everything. I don’t want to say, ‘yes, I am signing a new contract’ and then in the end I don’t end up signing.

“In my head, sometimes I wake up in the morning and think I want to go. Sometimes I think I want to stay. It is a hard decision. It is my ­future. I am 27 and I will turn 28 in January.”

Considering his age, Hazard is conscious that he has just one big move left in his career. “That’s why I spoke after the World Cup and I said that I think it is time to change because I played a great World Cup,” he said. “I am playing good football. Real Madrid is the best club in the world. I don’t want to lie today. It is my dream since I was a kid. I was dreaming about this club. I don’t want to talk about this every day. I don’t have time, but we will talk about my future soon. I think so.”

When asked if he wanted to have a discussion about his future with Chelsea at the end of the season, Hazard said: “I could talk now. If they come to me, then I will talk. I don’t want to say that I am not talking with the club or the owner. I am talking a lot with them. So, we just need to find a good …”

Following the departures of both Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid have been struggling and are in fourth place in La Liga.

Chelsea are not perplexed about the situation and are expected to open contact negotiations in the coming months, with Hazard’s future unlikely to be resolved before next summer.

Hazard stressed that Sarri’s influence will clearly be a significant factor and his decision would rest on more than the shorter-term form of each club.

Hazard, who provided the assist against Southampton on Sunday, completing a 31-pass move, is in the form of his career and has been consistently compared to the very best in the world.

The Belgium international admitted that it was “hard but possible” to score 40 goals this season.

“We had some great results in the past so I can’t say that the managers before weren’t good, but I think in terms of football and the way we are playing, yes, this is the best football,” Hazard said. “It is similar to how we played in France with Lille. A lot of passing and ­moving. Movement from the team.”

“When teams play against Chelsea, they are a bit scared because we have great players. It is like when you play Liverpool or Man City.”