EXCLUSIVE
Frank Leboeuf believes recovering the form of Eden Hazard will be more important in turning around Chelsea's fortunes than new signings.
Chelsea and Hazard both went through unimaginably bad seasons in 2015-16, with the Stamford Bridge club recording the worst ever Premier League title defence and the attacker suffering a 356 day goal drought in the league.
The 25-year-old has turned his focus to Euro 2016 and will captain Belgium, and Leboeuf feels he can still be as crucial to Chelsea as it is to his country.
"First they need some leaders and the first guy I think about is Eden Hazard," Leboeuf told Goal. "They need those guys to get back to their best if they want to be successful again.
"Buying other players when you know you have Hazard and if Hazard doesn’t go back to his best Chelsea are not going to win anything."
Hazard prepares to face Italy in his country's opening fixture of the tournament for Marc Wilmots' side alongside club teammate Thibaut Courtois, with Belgium's Romelu Lukaku and Radja Nainggolan being linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.
Leboeuf, who won five major trophies at Chelsea, wants to see a reaction from Hazard, who was sensational in their title winning season under Jose Mourinho after which he won the PFA Player of The Year.
"When they won [their last trophy], he was the best player in the Premier League, last year he scored three or four goals in the season and it is not enough, added Leboeuf.
"So you have to rethink Chelsea maybe buying players but the players you keep have to be at 100%, they have to react."
Lebouef was speaking to Goal courtesy of ESPN.
