There are three important contract talks under way already at Chelsea as the season draws to a close: Antonio Conte, Thibaut Courtois, and Eden Hazard.
Conte is set for a new three-year deal (or maybe longer?) that will make him the highest paid head coach in Chelsea history, while Courtois is set for a healthy 50 per cent pay rise with his new five-year contract. And then there is Eden Hazard, who’s set for a combination of the two, a 50 per cent pay rise that would push his weekly wages to a club record £300,000 per week for the next five years — five years that if fulfilled, will have kept Hazard at Chelsea for exactly a decade, and will have made him a legend no doubt.
#cfc have told Hazard that he will be the focal point of the team for years to come if he signs new deal.more here: https://t.co/kZh42dmzyj
— Simon Johnson (@sjstandardsport) May 18, 2017
The latest confirmation for these rumors comes from the Evening Standard’s Simon Johnson, who adds that in a meeting last week with Eden Hazard’s representatives, Chelsea have made it abundantly clear that we want to continue building the team around him for the foreseeable future. Those words are thus backed up by the massive wages — money talks loud and clear, after all — as well as the clear intent to improve the squad in other areas in order to properly challenge for trophies on multiple fronts.
Neither Hazard nor Courtois (nor Conte, for that matter) are agitating for a move away from the club — that’s all the rumor mill’s doing — but it’s still a wise move from Chelsea to reward them for their outstanding performances this season and keep everyone as happy as they can be.