“His future at the club is very simple,” Melchiot said on talkSPORT.
“This kid wants to play the best and wants to play with the best.
“The only doubt now comes to what is Chelsea’s next move with the transfer ban?
“It’s great being the best player on the team but you want to be playing amongst players that can help you succeed and bring you to the next level.
Eden Hazard: Chelsea would be SMART to sell Hazard to Real Madrid this summer - Melchiot (Image: GETTY/TALKSPORT)
Chelsea star Eden Hazard has regularly been linked with a move to Real Madrid (Image: GETTY)
“I’m not saying the others aren’t good but are they good enough to keep him excited?
“That’s why Real Madrid is so interesting for him and it’s why he might have already made his mind up.
“As a fan, all along I want to keep Hazard. But as a business prospect, it wouldn’t be smart to keep hold of him.
“If you can get a lot of money for him and buy any other equivalent player or young star, you will go for that.
“You don’t want to let anyone walk out for free. We are talking about a player who, if you can get £100m for him, it would be great.”
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Eden Hazard could be entering his final few weeks as a Chelsea player (Image: GETTY)
Premier League pundit Graeme Souness agrees that Hazard needs to leave Chelsea.
“Eden needs the fresh challenge of moving to Real Madrid this summer,” Souness told the Sunday Times.
“I know Chelsea’s fans won’t thank me for saying so and we’ll all miss watching the player who’s probably been the best in the Premier League over the past three or four seasons.
“But there’s more to come from Hazard and it’s now or never for him to prove that.
“He needs to be extended and pushed because he’s capable of going to another level, where he scores 30-plus goals a season.”