'He's never said anything about Madrid' - Willian expects Hazard to remain at Chelsea

Willian is confident that Eden Hazard 'wants to continue' at Chelsea, despite Real Madrid's reported interested in him.

The Belgian winger has been heavily linked with a switch to the Spanish capital over the last year and he even admitted that he dreams of playing for the Blancos one day in an interview back in October.

Madrid have stepped up their pursuit of Hazard this week following Zinedine Zidane's return as head coach, making first contact with Chelsea to discuss his availability.

Ahead of a Europa League last-16 second-leg tie against Dynamo Kiev on Thursday, Blues attacker Willian was asked if he is worried about Hazard leaving the club this summer.

The Brazilian responded by praising his team-mate's unique abilities on the pitch, before insisting that he has never spoken openly about potentially joining Madrid.

"It's a difficult question. First of all, I hope he stays with us," Willian began. "But, in football, you never know what can happen.

"Of course, Eden is a fantastic player, one of the best players in the world. He's my friend, one of the best players I've played with in my whole career. I just have to say I hope he stays with us. That's it.

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"No doubt, he's focused here. Of course, he wants to play, he wants to help us win something this season. He's never said something about Real Madrid or stuff like this. He just wants to continue to play for Chelsea."

Hazard has enjoyed a stellar season at Stamford Bridge on an individual level, contributing 13 goals and 11 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions.

Unfortunately, his brilliance has not been enough to inspire Chelsea to a Premier League title charge and securing a place in the top four come May is now their main ambition.

After facing off against Kiev, Maurizio Sarri will start preparing his players for a crucial fixture against Everton on Sunday, before the international break takes effect.