Former Blues midfielder Michael Essien has urged Chelsea to do all they can to extend Eden Hazard’s stay at Stamford Bridge, as reports continue to emerge about his contract.
In an interview with Goal, he stated that Chelsea should be looking to tie him down to a long-term deal as Real Madrid continue to be linked with a move for the player.
The former Ghana international said that there’s absolutely no reason why top clubs such as Real Madrid won’t look into signing him, claiming that it’s easier for the Belgian to win a Balon d’Or award in Spain than at Chelsea.
He could go to Real Madrid to win the Balon d’Or easier. When we talk about Eden, he is such a good player. He’s very quick, very good on the ball. He’s very strong, he may be little but he is strong, trust me! It is hard to get the ball off him.
I think that Chelsea need to renew his contract. You don’t want your best players to leave and we need him at the club.
Essien went on to praise Hazard’s mercurial skills both on and off the ball, with his unpredictability and his ‘magic touch’.
When asked about current midfielders N’Golo Kante and Tiemoue Bakayoko, the Ghanaian said he wished he could have played either with or against Kante and praised the Frenchman’s ability.
I would have loved to have faced Kante or play with him. He is such a great player. I am happy he is at Chelsea and he is enjoying his game. It would be a very physical battle if I met him on the pitch. He has great energy, he never stops running, but he doesn’t run for the sake of running.
The midfielder says that new signing Bakayoko needs to allow time to adapt to the demands of Premier League football.
There’s no need to put pressure on him and he doesn’t need to put pressure on himself. He just needs to try to enjoy the situation and to try to adapt.
Essien currently plays his club football with Indonesian Premier League outfit Persib, having played for the likes of Real Madrid and AC Milan throughout his career, winning several major titles along the way.
