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The 20-year-old attacking midfielder has sparked an early transfer frenzy after revealing to French newspaper L’Equipe that he is ready to move on.
‘I am ready to go to the next level at a big club,’ Hazard said, ”I won’t leave in January. It would be silly to do so. But it’s my last season at Lille.
‘I stayed with Lille this year because I still had things to work on and prove. But now I’m ready. I feel able to play in another country.’
Manchester City’s football development executive Patrick Vieira has been sent to watch Hazard while Lille academy coach Jean-Michel Vandamme says Chelsea have shown the most interest of the English teams.
Lille will demand at least £40million for the 20-year-old attacking midfielder and big-spending Paris St Germain are lining up a huge bid.
But the Belgium international ruled out a move to the French capital, saying: ‘Paris is not for now. After France, I want to go abroad.
‘I do not want to go to a rival of Lille’s in France. It would be inconsistent. The fans would not understand.’
Hazard has been on the Anfield radar for quite some time, with Damien Comolli a strong personal admirer of the Belgian. Liverpool will likely have to sell in order to fund a full-on bidding war, but could hold a trump card in Joe Cole. Cole moved to Lille on loan at the end of the summer transfer window, and has enjoyed a successful spell so far.
Inter Milan and Real Madrid have also kept an eye on the attacking midfielder, with Zinedine Zidane rumored to have held talks with the player and his agent recently. Arsenal could also hold a key to landing Hazard, with Arsene Wegner’s French connection and the fact of Thomas Vermaelen being Hazard’s cousin.
Tags: Anfield, Arsenal, Chelsea, Eden Hazard, Joe Cole, Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool, Mancester City, Real Madrid, Thomas Vermaelen, Zinedine Zidane
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