Chelsea prepare to lose Hazard to Real Madrid

If Sarriball has come with a form of sleeping sickness this season, then Eden Hazard has to be the antidote.

Against West Ham came his 15th and 16th goals in the Premier League this campaign. The 27th and 28th in which he had played a key part, once you count assists.

Maurizio Sarri was asked how much of a part he had personally played in making that happen. “Not at all,” he flashed back, his English remarkably good for this particular punchline, “(credit) is to the mother of Hazard!”

His greatest ever goals in Blue – and there have been a few – almost always seem to happen in slowed-down reality.

That one where he shrugged off the entire Arsenal defence.

His goal earlier this season at Anfield in the League Cup.

And, then here: weaving around five men in claret and blue, before putting it past the keeper.

Arguably the greatest goal of all time, scored by arguably the greatest player of all time, came in the World Cup against England.

And it was backed by possibly the greatest commentary of all time.

Bryon Butler was the wordsmith: “Maradona, turns like a little eel, he comes away from trouble, little squat man...

“Comes inside Butcher, leaves him for dead; outside Fenwick, leaves him for dead; and puts the ball away.

“And that is why Maradona is the greatest player in the world.”

Like the perfect strike, those perfect words were still rising when the ball hit the back of the net.

And every Hazard goal seems to be accompanied by the same internal monologue for the viewer, transfixed.

Sadly, it seems unlikely there will be many more opportunities for Hazard to send Chelsea fans into delirium. The writing seems to be on the wall: this is the summer that he, and Blues, will surely part company – after seven glorious years.

With just a year left on his contract, and at the age of 28, it's now or never: for Hazard; for Chelsea; and for, most likely, Real Madrid. Stay another season, and he's worthless to the selling club. Sign another contract, and he'll never realise his lifelong dream of playing for Real (and for Zinedine Zidane).

The distressed nature of this sale means any fee will be necessarily depressed.

A final year of contract sale is seldom big cash. And Chelsea know all it takes is for Hazard to ask to go, and Real will effectively be able to name the price.

Any real value may be in the add-ons. Will other players be included? Will there be options to buy or sell? Could there be some sort of longer-term feeder arrangement?

And what will life after Hazard look like for Chelsea?

No player is truly irreplaceable: this is the club that has already said goodbye to Didier Drogba; to Frank Lampard and John Terry; to Petr Cech.

All left the club poorer; but time marches on.

Unlike those four, Hazard is less of a week-in, week-out force.

Triumphs like that against West Ham come only a couple of times a season – probably more often in La Liga, where the tackles aren't so free-flowing.

Though his base level at Chelsea has still been incredibly high.

He's one of those few players, in the history of Chelsea, that punters have gladly parted with their cash just to see.

There was, some years back, a predecessor a little like him: nobody, who was there at the time really thought we'd see a greater talent than Gianfranco Zola.

Chelsea is a club with many other challenges right now, and Hazard's likely departure is just one.

But the hope of the next talent, just around the corner, is a straw at which to clutch.