CHELSEA is reportedly under obligation to negotiate a potential Eden Hazard move to Real Madrid in the summer transfer due to an “agreement” reached between the player and Blues director Marina Granovskaia last year.

    Marca said that the Premier League leaders are trying to convince the star to stay at Stamford Bridge by promising him they’re looking to build a team capable of consistently challenging for both the Premier League and Champions League in coming years.

    Hazard, 26, moved to West London in the summer of 2012 from French club Lille in a deal worth around 28 million pounds (US$35.2 million).

    The Belgium international has since become a key player for the Blues and in February 2015 was rewarded with a new five-and-a-half-year contract, said to be worth around 200,000 pounds a week.

    However, last summer he looked destined to leave Stamford Bridge following a disappointing campaign that saw Chelsea finishing 10th in the Premier League.

    Real Madrid was linked with his services at the time as manager Zinedine Zidane has been a long-time admirer of the Belgian since his early days in Ligue 1.

    But Marca claimed Hazard and Chelsea agreed at the time for the player to stay one more season after Blues director Granovskaia promised him that they wouldn’t reject any approach from Real Madrid in the following summer transfer window.

    The Spanish publication claims Chelsea will consequently be under pressure to at least open negotiations with Real Madrid if Los Blancos try to lure Hazard to the Santiago Bernabeu ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.

    However, Marca said Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is trying to convince Hazard to snub any overtures from Real Madrid with promises of a new dominant era at Stamford Bridge.

    (SD-Agencies)