Hazard admits Chelsea career could be over: 'You know my preferred destination'

Eden Hazard suggested that he could be on the move this summer, ending "six wonderful years" at Chelsea.

After guiding Belgium to a third-place finish at the World Cup, Hazard said, "It might be time to discover something different," and fuelled speculation that he might wind up at Real Madrid.

"You know my preferred destination," he said, according to BBC Sport.

"I can decide if I want to stay or go but Chelsea will make the final decision."

Hazard has persistently been linked to Real Madrid over the past few summers, with the 27-year-old saying last year that he would be open to a move to the Santiago Bernabeu if Los Blancos approached him.

"Real Madrid could interest me, everyone knows that," Hazard said last summer. "But if tomorrow that club doesn't want me anymore, we won't talk about it again. If they want to buy me, they know what they have to do.

"Going there for going there's sake, no. There has to be a project. I still have a project with Chelsea. If I have a good World Cup, things will be easier."

Hazard's comments are reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo's cryptic message following Real Madrid's Champions League triumph over Liverpool. The Portuguese star said he would assess his future in the Spanish capital in May, then ultimately decided to call time on his career at Real Madrid in favour of a sensational move to join Italian champion Juventus earlier this week.

The Belgian's remarks come on the heels of Chelsea's decision to "part company" with manager Antonio Conte. The Blues replaced the Italian with former Napoli gaffer Maurizio Sarri. Chelsea also struck a deal Saturday to sign midfielder Jorginho from Napoli for a reported €57-million fee.

Hazard, who scored three goals during an impressive World Cup campaign, has played a pivotal role in helping Chelsea win a pair of Premier League titles and the Europa League.