Chelsea and Manchester City will join Arsenal and Liverpool next summer in a £40million battle for Lille winger Eden Hazard. The 20-year-old has become one of the hottest properties in Europe thanks to his dazzling performances in Ligue 1.
Manchester City football development executive, Patrick Vieira, watched Belgian international in action against Inter in the Champions League last night. The former Arsenal, Inter and City midfielder was in the crowd at the Stade Metropole as the French champions lost 1-0 to Inter in Group B.
But Lille academy director Jean-Michel Vandamme, the man who took Hazard to France, suggests his suitors also include Chelsea but they will all have to wait until the summer. “Eden is certainly willing to stay at Lille at least until next summer,” he said.
“Here is his home, this is his garden [garden of Eden, geddit?]. Chelsea has been following him the closest. The Spaniards have not manifested themselves yet, but I think they are playing it smart and will call when they know they have to – I’m talking about Real, but also about Barcelona. The buyer will have to come up with a lot of money – let us say he is not currently to go for less than £40million.”