Eden Hazard reveals the best Chelsea youngster that never made it

has named the best young talent he has ever played with – a winger who flopped at and before moving to China.

Hazard, who produced 110 goals and 92 assists across 352 games for the Blues between 2012 and 2019, has revealed that it was DR Congo star Gael Kakuta.

Kakuta moved to Stamford Bridge in 2007 from French club Lens and despite spending eight years in west , he only made 16 appearances.

He was instead sent out on loan several times with stints at Fulham, Bolton, Dijon, Vitesse, Lazio and Rayo Vallecano before a permanent switch to Sevilla in 2015.

Kakuta would only make five appearances for Sevilla, though, and left after just one year to join Hebei China Fortune.

During his time in China, Kakuta returned to Europe for two loan spells, spending time at Deportivo La Coruna and Amiens.

Kakuta then joined Rayo Vallecano for the second time and is currently having a third stint at French club Amines following a spell at fellow Ligue 1 side Lens.

Hazard and Kakuta came through their respective youth systems at Lille and Lens at around the same time and speaking on the Obi One Podcast, the Belgian star said: ‘In Real Madrid, I played with the best players in the world.

‘For me [Luka] Modric, [Karim] Benzema, they are top of the list. When you say Kevin De Bruyne, he’s top on the list, when you say [Frank] Lampard he’s top of the list, Juan Mata for me was top of the list.

‘I’m gonna give you one name and John [Obi Mikel] knows the player. The only one I was saying ‘wow’, you know, in France was Gael Kakuta.

‘You asked me talent. Kakuta by far number one. Talent. I mean, talent. Wow.

‘You know, I play I play against him a lot when because I used to play in Lille and he was playing in Lens. You know, it’s a derby, it’s the north of France.

‘So me being me. We used to win every game – five, six zero. Me – best player every game.

‘And then every time we play against him, we’re losing the game. He’s the best player.

‘This is not normal. I think now it is easy to say but I think he went a bit too early [to] Chelsea.

‘He was 16 when he left France for Chelsea, you know? And that step at 16 is a huge step.’