Chelsea have reportedly rejected an initial offer from Real Madrid to seal the transfer of Eden Hazard, though the player himself is still confident over getting his move.
The Belgium international is edging closer to the end of his contract, putting Chelsea in a difficult position and seemingly accepting that letting him go is probably their only option this summer, according to the Daily Record.
MORE: Eden Hazard signs pre-contract agreement to leave Chelsea for Real Madrid transfer
The report explains that Hazard himself is aware of Madrid’s bid and believes this is a signal they will go all out to sign him this summer after his refusal to sign a new contract at Stamford Bridge.
This is a huge blow for Chelsea fans, who have long seen their club dominate under Roman Abramovich and very rarely be bullied into selling their best players.
However, things seem to be changing, with the west Londoners less of a force in the transfer market in recent years due to a combination of richer clubs like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as some with smarter recruitment like Liverpool and Tottenham.
Losing Hazard could put CFC in a very weak position ahead of next season as they currently also look like missing out on qualifying for the Champions League, which will only make it harder to replace their star player.