Barkley hopes ‘inspirational’ Hazard will extend Chelsea stay

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Ross Barkley hopes that Eden Hazard can resist the lure of Real Madrid and commit his long-term future to Chelsea.

Speaking after the Blues’ 3-0 win over Southampton on Sunday, in which both the Belgian and Barkley scored and assisted, Hazard said: “Real Madrid is the best club in the world. It is my dream since I was a kid. We will see.”

Barkley, however, is desperate for the 27-year-old to pledge his future to Maurizio Sarri’s side and continue to light up Stamford Bridge for years to come.

“He’s a magnificent player,” Barkley told a media conference.

“You can see how he has started the season and the World Cup that he had, you don’t get many players like him. He’s capable of magic at any moment.

“It’s important [he stays] because he’s been at Chelsea for a long time. He’s achieved so much. But I can’t speak for Eden.

“He knows in his mind what he wants but I’d love to play with him for many more years.”

Like Hazard, Barkley has enjoyed a fine start to the season and has been rewarded with a call-up to England’s squad for their upcoming Nations League games against Croatia and Spain.

Barkley has not played for the Three Lions since May 2016 and attributes his renaissance to a new-found maturity.

“I’m over the moon to be back, I feel like it’s been a long time coming but I feel like I have worked hard over the last couple of years and that it’s fully deserved that I am back here,” he added.

“I feel like I have matured as a person, understood what football is and taken little details on as I have done under the manager [Sarri]. Things are going really well for me now and I’m fully focused on improving and kicking on.”