Zinedine Zidane has expressed his admiration for Eden Hazard but would not be drawn on media reports that the Chelsea attacker is a transfer target for Real Madrid.
Hazard, 24, has failed to replicate the form which saw him win both of the top individual awards in England last season as the Blues claimed the Premier League title, and speculation about his future at Stamford Bridge has increased as the team has slumped to 16th in the table this term.
Zidane, who is currently managing Real Madrid Castilla, the Spanish club's reserve side, praised the former Lille player but stopped short of suggesting that Real Madrid should try to sign him.
"You'll have to ask other people that," the former France international told a news conference. "I'm not in a position to answer. Me, I love the player."
Zidane added that he expects Hazard to rediscover his best form in time to spearhead Belgium's campaign at the European Championship in France next summer.
"He's my favourite player [on the Belgian team]," the former three-time FIFA World Player of the Year said. "He's the one that gives me the most when I see Belgium play.
"He has six months left. It's part of a career -- you have to accept that there'll be times when you're not as good.
"But I'm not worried about him for the European Championship."