Chelsea news: Eden Hazard 'considering transfer request' to force Real Madrid move

The Belgian is widely expected to leave Stamford Bridge even with the club set to qualify for the Champions League

Eden Hazard is considering handing in a transfer request at Chelsea after becoming concerned by the Stamford Bridge club's 'rigidity' in transfer negotiations, according to reports in Madrid.

Spanish sports daily AS reported on Tuesday morning that Blues director Marina Granovskaia has been 'inflexible' in talks over selling Hazard and that Chelsea continue to ask for north of €100m for the Belgium international.

Hazard has just 12 months remaining on his contract with the Premier League side and the underlying threat remains that he will play out his deal and join the Bernabeu outfit on a Bosman deal.

Madrid believe that Hazard's asking price remains too high for a player whose contract has such a little time to run, though they have lost a little leverage with Maurizio Sarri's side securing Champions League football at the weekend.

The Independent understands that Chelsea are resigned to Hazard's departure this summer but, with a potential transfer ban impeding them from adding to their squad in the summer, are determined to extract maximum value for one of the best players in the world.

Zinedine Zidane has long coveted Hazard and first went public on his feelings about the Belgian in 2015, saying the Chelsea winger was up there with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as one of the world's best.

"After Ronaldo and Messi, Hazard is my favourite player," he said.

"It is spectacular to watch him play... Can I see him playing for Real Madrid? I can only say I love the player."

Madrid are keen to sign Hazard as part of an extensive retooling this summer, with Paul Pogba also desperate to join Zidane at the Bernabeu.

Christian Eriksen and Luka Jovic are also on the shopping list for an off-season when Madrid are expected to sell a number of first-team stars including Gareth Bale , who was told this week by Zidane that he had no future at the club.