Chelsea wasted their greatest entertainer but that does not mean Eden Hazard should leave

Under Roman Abramovich Chelsea’s football has had one common theme. Hard-working, well-organised and disciplined.

Managers have always come and gone but as long the first-team wasn’t self-destructing those were the traits you could always associate with Chelsea.

With two exceptions.

The first was Carlo Ancelotti’s 2009-10 side, the Blues’ answer to Kevin Keegan’s Entertainers. That season Chelsea blitzed the league, scoring 103 goals on their way to the title. Twice they hit five goals, three times they scored seven and on the final day they put eight past Wigan.

The other exception was not one side, rather one player; Eden Hazard, possibly Chelsea’s greatest entertainer of them all.

The Belgian joined the Blues over six years ago, with a decision so teasing and drawn out it would embarrass Antoine Griezmann. In that time Hazard has established himself as Chelsea’s key player, one of the very best in the league.

Yet there has consistently been a sense of what might have been when it comes to Hazard's Chelsea career, which make his comments this week all the more interesting.

The Belgian admitted after scoring his eighth goal of the season in the 3-0 win at Southampton on Sunday that “sometimes in my head, I wake up in the morning and think I want to go. Sometimes I think I want to stay. It is a hard decision.” Of course when he says go he's referring to European champions Real Madrid, who have been heavily linked with the forward for some time.

When Hazard chose Chelsea in 2012 it was not too much of a surprise, they were Champions League winners themselves and despite a poor league campaign still one of the best teams in the world. In that time the Blues have slipped down the English pecking order, never mind Europe, where back-to-back-to-back Champions League winners Real reside in the top seat.

In theory it should be a no-brainer, Hazard could help take Real back to the top in the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era. He would not be able to replace the goals of their legendary No 7 but he’s a showstopper, a global superstar.

But in many ways Hazard is not your typical football celebrity. He keeps a relatively low profile, is reportedly very happy keeping himself to himself and spending time with his family and he does seem to want to just enjoy himself as a footballer. In many ways he’s the antithesis to another of Real’s reported targets, Neymar. At least off the pitch…

On the pitch they both have that rare ability, to get fans out of their seats. Chris Waddle tells an excellent story from his time with Marseille of how he could hear the seats snapping as fans leapt up when the ball was at his feet and for Hazard it must be the same. Stamford Bridge is not one of the loudest grounds in England but the roar is deafening when the little Belgian magician is putting on a show.

The problem comes when Hazard’s support cast can’t live up to the headline act, a far too regular occurrence. In his time at Stamford Bridge Hazard has won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one League Cup and one Europa League. Hardly to be sniffed at but that absent Champions League screams about as loud as the Chelsea faithful when he sends a defender the wrong way.

Hazard’s loyalty to Chelsea could well have cost him a shot at club football’s pinnacle and that might be what his decision comes down to. There’s little chance he will be adored at the Bernabeu in the same way he is at Stamford Bridge, nor is it likely that the team will be built to go through him as it is now.

But even without Ronaldo Real represent a far better option for European glory, especially as the likes of Marco Asensio and Isco continue to develop. By contrast Hazard is playing with a bunch of 30-somethings in the Chelsea attack and there’s no indication that any of the club’s younger players are going to make an impact any time soon.

However, Maurizio Sarri has already shown an early blueprint for how to get the best out of Hazard. He's liberated and scoring far more regularly than he ever has. On top of that some of his play has been truly jaw-dropping. Although having said that, as fascinating as the Italian is tactically, removing Hazard’s defensive responsibilities is hardly a stroke of genius…

And despite the potential lure of Madrid, perhaps the answer may be to stay at Chelsea? He is adored at Stamford Bridge and is undeniably the leader of the team. Hazard expressed concern over his age but he need only look at what Sarri was able to do for his compatriot Dries Mertens to feel more at ease. His new manager is only a few months into a three-year contract and the early signs are extremely promising.

Hazard plays with a smile on his face, a footballer whose every instinct is to enjoy himself, and entertain those around him. After craving such attacking freedom for so long would it be wise to throw it away so quickly?