Merson on Hazard, Kepa message, Willian challenge, Eden’s mind made up in Chelsea daily roundup
IcChelseanews brings you the latest news, gossip and transfer speculation in the media.
Chelsea star Willian has challenged team-mate Ede Hazard to carry on scoring the goals for the Blues.
We got back to winning ways against Watford after Hazard netted his 100th and 101st goal in a Blues shirt to give us a 2-1 victory and put us right back in the chase to finish in the top four come the end of the season.
[the_ad id=”164″]His two goals were his tenth in the Premier League this season, and with the Belgian also creating another nine for his team-mates, it has turned out to be a very productive campaign for the Real Madrid transfer target.
And now team-mate Willian has told the former Lille forward to keep the goals coming.
“I’m happy for him,” he told the club’s website.
“I’m happy because he helped us to win and happy he has scored 101 goals for Chelsea, so I hope there’s more to come from him.
“Now we have to think about Crystal Palace.”
Kepa Arrizabalaga says he is not focused on the fee that Chelsea paid for him in the summer.
Chelsea finally lost Thibaut Courtois to Spanish giants Real Madrid in a cut-priced £35 million deal after the stopper forced his way out of the club, and we decided to make a surprise move for the talented Kepa.
The talent was making a real name for himself over in La Liga and was on the shortlist of Maurizio Sarri;s shopping list, and in the end we decided to splash the cash, break the record and bring him here in a deal worth around £71 million.
And so far, he has barely put a foot wrong in the first few months of his Chelsea career, with many praising how he has adjusted to life in the Premier League
“Obviously the price was very high – £71m is a lot of money,” he told Sky Sports News.
“I’m aware of this but given the transfer market situation and how things are going, it is normal so I don’t need to focus on the value of the transfer.
“I do need to focus on playing my football and what’s happening on the pitch rather than off it… I want to be myself and not think about it.
“I’m here now playing for Chelsea. I chose to leave my home at Athletic Bilbao and it was an important step in my career.”
The Daily Mail’s chief sports writer Martin Samuel has claimed Chelsea star Eden Hazard is keeping ‘his options open’
Hazard has been in brilliant form for us this season and already has ten goals for the club, and has already netted ten goals in the Premier League this season, while also creating nine assists for his team-mates, But speculation has been the headlines of his season so far.
[the_ad id=”164″]Hazard has already admitted on a few occasions that he it would be a ‘dream’ to play for the Spanish giants, And after seeing boss Maurizio Sarri tell the club that he wants Hazard’s future sorted out sooner rather than later, Samuel has claimed that Hazard is keeping his options open until the end of the season, telling the Sky Sports website: “He’s keeping his options open.
“I read what Sarri said about needing a decision. It’s absolute nonsense.
“If Hazard doesn’t want to make the decision, then the only decision that can be made at the moment is if the club turn around and say they’re going to sell him.
“Now if the club announce they’re going to sell Hazard at the end of the season, you might lose him for the next five months and his price then collapses. So there’s absolutely no real sense saying we’ve got to have a decision now. It is what it is”
Paul Merson reckons Eden Hazard has already made the decision to leave Chelsea at the end of the season.
Hazard has been in sparking form for Chelsea this season and already has ten goals and nine assists in his opening 19 Premier League games for the Blues.
Real Madrid were reportedly desperate to acquire the services of Hazard after letting Cristiano Ronaldo leave and were ready to offer the Belgian a £150 million move to the Bernabeu, with Hazard even admitting that it was the right time for a fresh challenge.
But Maurizio Sarri came in and persuaded the Belgian to stay put and help us get back into a Champions League spot, believing that would help convince Hazard to stay next summer.
However, Hazard said earlier this year that it was his ‘dream’ to play for Real and claimed he would make a decision at the end of the season on whether he would leave, with a big deal left on the table from the Blues.
But Arsenal hero Merson believes Hazard has already made his mind up and is set to leave Stamford Bridge next summer.
Merson told Sky Sports: ‘I would say yes because when you’re talking like that it’s just leaving the door open.
‘I think he will play and enjoy his football like he is at the moment. He is the best player in the Premier League in my opinion.
‘I think he’s the only player in the league who can get the ball on the halfway line and beat three players and score on a consistent basis.
‘He’s up there in the top five in the world of football.
‘Real Madrid, I think when they come knocking, or even Barcelona because I don’t think [Ousmane] Dembele has really done it, I think he will be on his way.
‘As a Chelsea fan I just don’t think you could knock him if he went.’
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