Exclusive: Didier Drogba is the key to stop Eden Hazard leaving Chelsea for Real Madrid

DIDIER DROGBA's arrival as a Chelsea coach could be key to the club holding onto Eden Hazard.

 

Didier Drogba helped to persuade Hazard join Chelsea from Lille in 2012

 

Drogba is set to announce his retirement as a player and leave MLS side Montreal Impact, and is in talks with Chelsea about returning to the club as a coach alongside interim manager Guus Hiddink.

And one major plus of bringing Drogba back to Stamford Bridge is the impact it could have on Footballer of the Year Hazard.

The Belgian revealed in the summer that it was Drogba who persuaded him to join Chelsea from Lille for £35million in 2012. Manchester United, Real Madrid and Arsenal were also keen on Hazard, but he revealed that a phone call from the Ivory Coast legend persuaded him to go to west London.

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"I was flattered, he was maybe the best striker in the world," he said. "In my head I wasn't going to sign, but in the end I was very pleased with my choice."

Hazard has remained close to Drogba, and the pair are in frequent contact by phone and text. He has had a troubled season, failing to score in 30 appearances and having his fitness publicly questioned by former boss Jose Mourinho.

Hazard is now sidelined with a groin problem, which looks likely to keep him out of Sunday's FA Cup third-round tie at home to Scunthorpe.

Real Madrid's new coach Zinedine Zidane has made no secret of his admiration for Hazard but it is understood no contact has been made about a transfer. Paris St Germain also want the 25-year-old, but Hazard is not keen on a move back to France. And Hiddink sees the return of Drogba as the man to reignite Hazard's form and his love for Chelsea.

Drogba ended his second spell at the club last summer, but was with Hiddink and owner Roman Abramovich to see the 3-1 win over Sunderland last month.

His arrival means Eddie Newton, who has stepped up to assist Hiddink, will return to his role as loan player technical coach.

One of his last sessions, yesterday morning, was marred by Oscar and Costa squaring up to each other, and having to be separated by shock team-mates.

 

Oscar and Diego Costa appear to have made up after their bust-up at Chelsea training

 

Costa caught the midfielder with a heavy challenge in a practice game, and the Spain striker retaliated with a tackle described by one witness as “outrageous”. The pair exchanged angry words before players and coaching staff managed to pull them apart.

Another source said: “Oscar’s challenge was outrageous. It was straight into the knee of Costa and could have done him some real damage. That sparked a brawl between them and the other players had to stop it.”

Club sources insisted the pair calmed down and were seen heading towards the changing rooms together, and there was laughing and joking, while Hiddink was said to be relaxed about the incident.

 

Meanwhile Radamel Falcao has travelled back to Monaco this week to have checks on his injured thigh as Chelsea look to cut short his ill-fated loan deal and create space fo a new striker.

Chelsea want to end the Colombian's season-long loan early, but Monaco want to be sure of the 29-year-old's fitness before taking him back after Hiddink revealed last week he had suffered another setback.

Falcao has been out with a thigh injury since October 31 and broke down again in a training game last week.

Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew are interested in signing him but their season does not start until March, but Monaco may take him back until then, or until the end of the season, when they will look to sell him.

Despite managing to convince Falcao to take a 50 per cent wage cut to move to Stamford Bridge, his season-long loan has already been an expensive failure as he has only started one Premier League game and scored one goal in all competitions.

Mourinho had hoped to get the best out of Falcao, but with the Portuguese now gone the Blues are ready to cut their losses.