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28 March 2024

Liverpool's Cole advised Hazard to join Chelsea

Eden Hazard of Belgium in action during the international friendly against England at Wembley Stadium on Saturday in London, England. (GETTY)

Published
By Agencies

Former Chelsea and England winger Joe Cole played a major role in persuading Lille midfielder Eden Hazard to move to Stamford Bridge, the Belgian international said on Monday.

Hazard announced last week on his Twitter feed that he was on the way to Chelsea and he has now completed his transfer to the European champions and FA Cup holders after passing a medical.

The Blues have now officially confirmed the transfer, for a fee believed to be in the region of £32 million, seeing off a roll call of European heavyweights in the process.

"I spoke to Joe Cole and what he said above all was that Chelsea was the right club for me," Hazard told the team's website (www.chelseafc.com).

"As somebody who loves the club himself, he said he could really see me in the shirt, so when I see him next I'll tell him he was right," he added of Liverpool player Cole who spent last season on loan at French team Lille.

The versatile 21-year-old Hazard, who has been with Lille since 2005, will join up with Chelsea's squad for pre-season training next month.

A target for many of Europe's top clubs, Hazard said he was delighted to join the Londoners who next season will attempt to improve on their disappointing sixth-place finish in the 2011-12 Premier League.

"This is a wonderful club and I can't wait to get started and for the season to start so I can meet my new team mates, the supporters and all the people who are involved," he said.

Hazard, named best Ligue 1 player in the past two seasons, led Lille to the French title in 2011 and scored 20 goals in the last campaign including a hat-trick in the final game of the season to secure a third-place finish for the club.

He will join fellow Belgians Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne at 2009-10 Premier League winners Chelsea.

"It's a dream come true for me," said Hazard. "I want to play as many games as possible, score as many goals as possible and win a place in the hearts of the supporters.

"It's true that initially there were a number of clubs in for me but when Chelsea won the Champions League I thought, 'why not?'," added Hazard.

Chelsea were always known to be keen on Hazard, but it was only after watching them beat Bayern on penalties in Munich last month that he decided they were the club for him.

"I watched the Champions League Final like everybody else," he told the club's official website.

"It puts a bit more pressure on the players who are already here but they're used to it, and I think I'm pretty good at coping under pressure.

"It's true that initially there were a number of clubs in for me, but when Chelsea won the Champions League I thought: 'Why not?'

"It was a complicated decision with lots of different factors involved, but the fact that they have great players and are European champions, also coming to London - I know people here already and there are a few French speakers - I think I have made the right decision."

Hazard will not feature in this month's European Championship in Ukraine and Poland because Belgium failed to qualify.

Hazard is Chelsea's second summer signing after Marko Marin.

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