Eden Hazard looks to have salvaged his Chelsea legacy after walking the tightrope with fans amid links with Arsenal ahead of a summer move. The Belgium international reportedly has no intention of negotiating a potential deal with the Gunners and is ready to turn his nose up at the north London side's interest.
The former Blue has trumped the ultimate Chelsea test which has seen the likes of Petr Cech, David Luiz, Willian and Frank Lampard fail. If reports are to be believed, Hazard has no future with any of the west Londoners' Premier League rivals.
Earlier this month, Arsenal emerged as a shock loan destination for the Belgian, who has struggled to staple himself in Real Madrid's starting eleven. Hazard has featured just 65 times since he swapped Stamford Bridge for the Santiago Bernabeu in 2019 for a mouth-watering fee that could eventually exceed £150million.
READ MORE: Christian Pulisic can help new Chelsea owners finalise deal as Thomas Tuchel prepares audition
Chelsea's former No.10 has suffered numerous setbacks since joining Los Blancos which has seen him fall behind, with regard to his match fitness. Hazard's averaged just 51 minutes a game in a Real Madrid shirt and, with the Qatar World Cup fast approaching, it came as no surprise that the winger was linked with moves elsewhere.
According to Foot Mercato, Mikel Arteta's side have held talks with the Spanish giants over a potential loan deal for Hazard. Though, according to Sport, the Belgian is unwilling to negotiate with the Gunners over a potential loan move despite his lack of playing time at Real Madrid.
By shutting the door on a move to a rival of Chelsea, Hazard has passed a test which has seen many fail before him. While his performances for the Blues speak for itself, his unwillingness to tarnish his legacy mustn't be understated.
Though, on the contrary, it's not surprising to see the Belgian turn down a move to the Emirates Stadium with Arsenal's growing reputation as a 'retirement home' for ageing Chelsea players. Reacting to the links tying Hazard to the Gunners, @GoonerViews tweeted: "Feels like we’re Chelsea’s retirement home but I feel that Hazard could still offer us something."
@Nachik3t, a fellow Arsenal fan, agreed and tweeted: "If we sign Hazard, our club should really be renamed to Chelsea Retirement Pensioner’s club. Arsenal just can’t avoid the temptation to sign finished Chelsea players and pay them a huge pension as salary."
