Eden Hazard to Paris Saint-Germain: Ligue 1 champions willing to pay up to £80m for Chelsea winger

The French club are prepared to compete with Real Madrid for the 24-year-old's signature

Chelsea winger Eden Hazard (Getty Images)

Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly joined the chase to sign Chelsea winger Eden Hazard.

The Ligue 1 champions, backed by their billionaire Qatari ownership, are ready to compete with Real Madrid and pay up to £80m in order to secure the 24-year-old’s signature.

According to a report by the Daily Mail, the club believe they can convince Hazard, who arrived at Stamford Bridge from Lille over three years ago, to return to France.

Chelsea are understandably reluctant to part with the player voted as the Professional Footballers Association’s and Football Writers’ Association’s player of the year last season.

Hazard signed a new five-year deal with the club in February but, following the club’s disastrous start to the Premier League season, it is believed that he is considering his future.

The Belgian winger, who supported Real Madrid as a boy, has been dropped by under-pressure manager Jose Mourinho several times this season and, on one occasion, publicly singled out for criticism.

When asked to explain why he had chosen not to select Hazard for the defending champions’ 2-0 victory over Aston Villa last month, Chelsea’s Portuguese coach said: "I left out Hazard because we are conceding lots of goals. We need to defend better."

Hazard has also become embroiled in the row surrounding Mourinho’s treatment of former team doctor Eva Carneiro.

The 24-year-old could yet be compelled to act as a witness on behalf of Carneiro at her employment tribunal against Chelsea, despite his reported reluctance to do so.