Maurizio Sarri has revealed there have been regular recent discussions between the Chelsea hierarchy and Eden Hazard’s entourage aimed at persuading the forward to extend his stay, and that the club are “available to sign a new contract immediately” whenever the player indicates a desire to do so.
Chelsea are tying down key personnel, with César Azpilicueta having followed N’Golo Kanté lead by agreeing a contract extension. The club are one of a number of English sides under investigation by Fifa over possible violations of rules on the signing of foreign players under the age of 18 and could be the subject of lengthy transfer embargoes if found guilty by the governing body’s disciplinary committee.
While Sarri went public in urging his employers to secure David Luiz and Cesc Fàbregas beyond the expiry of their own deals in the summer, the priority remains reaching an agreement with Hazard. The Belgian, who joined from Lille in the summer of 2012 and suggested at the World Cup last summer that the time may be right to move on, is contracted until 2020 and has been in no rush to sign a mooted five-year deal on improved terms.
However, it is understood his advisers – Hazard does not have a conventional relationship with a regular agent – have held preliminary discussions with Chelsea, and Sarri suggested there has been regular contact since. “I know very well that there are discussions between the club and the manager of Eden every week I think, so if there is something new, the club will call me immediately,” he said. “I want Eden here but I want him here if he wants to stay here.
“You know very well that Eden is very important for us, like every special player. He’s important for his club. It’s up to him, I think. I think the club is available to sign a new contract immediately but it’s up to him if he wants to renew or not..”
Azpilicueta agreed an extension through to 2022 over the weekend and Kanté signed a five-year contract last month, and the possibility of a Fifa transfer ban could yet influence Chelsea’s decision over the futures of David Luiz and Fàbregas. The club’s policy is to offer only 12-month extensions to players over 30, a rule that would normally apply to both the Brazilian and Spaniard.
“The deal is very difficult for this reason, I think, because the club wants a short contract and the players want a long contract,” said Sarri. “So it’s difficult for this reason. But I think, at the end, we can find a solution. I spoke with the club one month ago about this and but I think that we can do a new deal for both.”
While David Luiz has regained the first-team place and is an ever present in the Premier League under Sarri this season having fallen out of favour last term under Antonio Conte, Fàbregas has effectively become Jorginho’s understudy in the top flight this term.
Asked why he would want both players to extend their stints in south-west London, Sarri explained: “Because they are very important players for us. Because, on the other hand, it’s very difficult to find a centre-back for this level, and it’s very difficult to find a central midfielder technically like Fàbregas. And so I think they have to stay with us.
“David Luiz and Cesc are leaders. And so I think it’s very important for me, for the staff, and also for their team-mates that they stay with us. I know the difficulties of the new deal, as I said before. The problem is only the length of the new contract. But I think the club will be able to find the right solution.”
