Talks are already underway – Antonio Conte and Chelsea could complete deal to lose key man to Real Madrid

According to Spanish source Diario Gol, Chelsea star Eden Hazard is stalling signing a new contract with the Blues in order to push through a move to Real Madrid.

The Belgian injured his ankle last season which dented his chances of joining Los Blancos.  Diario Gol has claimed that Madrid are still keen to sign Hazard and that talks between the Stamford Bridge outfit and Real are already underway.

The 27-year-old is at the peak of his career and despite the fact that Chelsea are underwhelming in their defence of the Premier League title and could struggle to qualify for the Champions League, it is easy to see why Hazard is tempted to move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Hazard was back in action on Sunday as Chelsea slumped to a 1-0 defeat against runaway League leaders Manchester City. The result left the Blues in fifth place on the League standings and five points behind fourth-placed Tottenham who occupy the last Champions League qualification spot.

Despite the fact that the scoreline reflects a close game, Chelsea were totally dominated on the day and Pep Guardiola’s men fully deserved the three points. Blues boss Antonio Conte was widely criticized for his managerial tactics during the game and did not have an attacking plan. He opted to start without a recognized forward despite having Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata to call upon and opted to use Hazard as a false nine.

The source has also added that Karim Benzema is aware that he will be sold at the end of the season. The Frenchman has been below par this season and he is likely to end up leaving as part of the squad revolution which Madrid are likely to undergo.