Hazard rules out Madrid move

Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard says he will not move to Real Madrid in January despite admitting that he might need to leave the Blues to win the Ballon d'Or.

The 27-year-old attacker said earlier this month that joining Real had been his "dream since I was a kid". Asked by Sky Sports if he needed to play in Spain to win the game's top individual awards, Hazard smilingly replied "that's why I want to go, maybe".

The Belgian denied he would move in the January transfer window, however.

Hazard's contract at Stamford Bridge expires in June 2020 and reports in Spain claim Real Madrid are hopeful that Chelsea may sell at the end of this season for £70m rather than risk losing their star player a year later. Real signed Thibaut Courtois from Chelsea in August for a reported £35m as the goalkeeper's contract entered its final year.

The forward has been at Chelsea since signing from Lille in 2012, scoring 76 goals in 216 league appearances.