Eden Hazard should not consider a move to Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea interim boss Guus Hiddink says, because he would not face as strong a challenge as in the Premier League.
The midfielder this week would not rule out a move to PSG or Real Madrid when asked by French news outlet Le Parisien whether he could leave Stamford Bridge.
But on the eve of Chelsea's Champions League in Paris, Hiddink recommended Hazard and other elite players not consider moving to Ligue 1, where PSG are currently cruising toward a fourth straight championship.
"They have big targets to win the Champions League," Hiddink said of PSG. "Step by step, they have gathered a reputation that they are very serious to be one of the biggest teams in Europe, so this challenge I can understand.
"But it is a different league, they are now ahead I think 24 points. It is not a bad league, but this team is on top of that.
"For me, I think big, big, big players always like to be in the biggest league which is the Premier League and La Liga, and also the Bundesliga."
Hiddink also said Hazard should focus on becoming a top player for Chelsea before considering any potential transfers.
"First he must now get fit and show he is a top player and then for Chelsea, which is a top club, he can be of huge value," Hiddink said. "In the near future, there will be more speculation about who is coming here or who is going but I don't go into that.
The Chelsea boss said PSG will enjoy a slight advantage in their last-16 tie because their schedule is not as demanding.
"They take this game very seriously because they want to be one of the main clubs in Europe," Hiddink said. "The focus for them, as it is for us, is on winning the Champions League -- even more because it is a little bit expected from their side and the outside world.
"They rest five or six players in the last game so they are taking this very, very seriously. They have the luxury to do that, we don't."