Hazard doesn't believe Sarri will mold him into Mertens

Eden Hazard is confident his best position remains on the left flank despite Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri recently deploying him as a false nine.

The role is reminiscent of where Sarri fielded converted winger Dries Mertens for Napoli, but Hazard believes his desire to be regularly involved in the action makes him less suited to it than his fellow Belgian.

"Dries is more of a striker than me," Hazard said, according to ESPN's Liam Twomey. "I am more like a playmaker. Since I started (playing) football I like to come and touch the ball. Dries is not like this, he just wants to stay in the box. That's why he scores a lot of goals.

"We are different, but I know Sarri likes to change some positions and that happens sometimes."

Mertens quickly displayed a poachers' instinct when he was picked in the middle of a three-man strikeforce. In the 2016-17 campaign, he scored 28 goals in 35 league outings. Last season, he struck five more shots from inside the penalty area than Gonzalo Higuain - a seasoned marksman leading the line for Serie A's most prolific club in Juventus. Mertens' willingness to harry and challenge defenders to create his own chances would have also pleased Sarri's pressing principles.

"Yes, for sure," Hazard replied when asked if he would score consistently as a regular striker. "But I will score more goals also if I play as a winger ... my position is winger.

"I feel better as a winger, but like (against Watford) I did well as a striker, against Brighton I did well as a striker, so the manager chooses where to put me on the pitch and then I try to do my best."

Hazard's protracted links to Real Madrid won't fade. The Telegraph's Matt Law reported Thursday that the 27-year-old is prepared to wait to see if he is Los Blancos' primary transfer target before deciding whether he should sign a new contract with Chelsea.

Sarri, meanwhile, appears to have grown tired of the speculation, saying at Friday's press conference "it's time to decide" where Hazard will be spending next season and beyond. It's understood Chelsea have offered the attacker fresh terms worth £300,000 a week.

Hazard has netted four times in his past four outings and will look to extend his hot form at Crystal Palace on Sunday.