Eden Hazard reveals 'secret meeting' with Real Madrid

Eden Hazard has revealed that he actually had talks with Real Madrid a year before he left Chelsea to join the Spanish club.

The Belgian left Stamford Bridge in an £89m deal during the summer after seven successful years in West London, during which time he won two Premier League titles, two Europa Leagues, one FA Cup and one EFL Cup.

The 28-year-old had been repeatedly linked with Madrid in recent years but the rumours increased in volume after his compatriot Thibaut Courtois made the move from Chelsea to the Spanish capital in 2018.

Speaking as part of a documentary on Real Madrid TV, Hazard admitted that he spoke to Real president Florentino Perez following the conclusion of the 2018 World Cup, indicating that he wanted to make the move out to Madrid.

The mercurial forward also said that when it became clear that a deal was not possible for that summer, he made the decision to stay at Chelsea for another year.

The former Lille man has had an indifferent start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu, scoring one goal in seven appearances across all competitions.