TERMS AGREED FOR EDEN HAZARD
Posted on: Mon 04 Jun 2012
Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce we have agreed terms with Lille for the transfer of Eden Hazard.
The 21-year-old Belgian international has agreed personal terms with the club and today passed a medical examination. He will join the club in July when the players return for pre-season training.
Hazard, who was pursued by a host of top European clubs, moves to Stamford Bridge from the French Ligue 1 team, who he joined back in 2005 from Belgian side Tubize.
He is a versatile attacker who can play out wide, behind the frontman or as an out-and-out striker.
Having been named the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year at the tender age of 17, the outstanding achievement from his five years in France was securing the league and cup double in 2010/11, his stock rising rapidly with a string of impressive displays.
During his final season at Lille, when he was a team-mate of Joe Cole, he scored 21 goals in 48 games and made 18 assists, playing an integral role as the club finished third behind Montpellier and Paris St-Germain, to make the Champions League qualifying rounds.
He signed off in style after being handed the captain's armband for his final game for Lille, scoring a memorable hat-trick against Nancy in a devastating first-half display.
Hazard made his Belgium international debut as a 17-year-old in a game against Luxembourg in November 2008, coming on as a late substitute. He has 28 caps to his name and played the full 90 minutes in the friendly defeat against England at Wembley on Saturday where he came up against three of his new Chelsea team-mates.
Following his medical today, he said: 'I'm delighted to finally arrive here, it's a wonderful club and I can't wait to get started.'
He becomes the fourth Belgian to join the club, following the arrivals of Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne.
He joins German international Marko Marin as new additions to the Chelsea squad since the January transfer window.
http://www.chelseafc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10268~2797352,00.html
