Man Utd close to signing Arsenal target Hazard

Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Lille midfielder Eden Hazard is high on the wish-list of Manchester United this summer, according to a report.

United boss Fergie has been impressed with the playmaker after watching him in action against Lyon earlier this month and said he was impressed with the 21-year-old.

Speaking to French radio station RMC, Fergie said: “I was at the game and watched Hazard, as well as other players.

“That’s part of my job, looking at good players.

“Hazard is a very good player and has a lot of qualities. He’s particularly quick over the first 10 yards.”

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The £30 million-rated Belgium international is also wanted by title rivals City, Arsenal and a host of Europe’s other top clubs.

But United could tilt the scales in the battle for Hazard's signature if they seal a record 20th Premier League title by defeating City in the derby this weekend.

Arsenal face Real battle to sign Hazard

Arsene Wenger is facing a battle with France’s World Cup hero Zinedine Zidane to get the signature of Lille starlet Eden Hazard.

The ‘Daily Mirror’ reports that Arsenal boss Wenger had an enquiry knocked back for Hazard this summer but is hoping to approach Lille again (https://bit.ly/pFdGs3).

However, Real Madrid’s director of football Zidane has also put Hazard at the top of his hit-list - and is going all out to convince him to move to the Bernabeu next summer, according to the report.

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Wenger has been tracking the 20-year-old Belgian forward for the past two years and has made Hazard his number one transfer target.

But Zidane is trying to convince the French champions not to entertain any approaches from Arsenal in the summer, because of Real’s interest, the report added.

Hazard wants to move to England

Eden Hazard may have sparked a bidding war among Premier League clubs after revealing that his preferred destination when he leaves Lille next summer is England, it was reported earlier.

The 21-year-old Belgian international announced in October that he intends to leave Lille at the end of the season and when asked on Canal+ where he would like to go, he replied: "England."

"After thinking about it, I'm leaning towards England," he said.

"It's a style of play that suits me and it's there that you can learn the most."

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Hazard conceded that Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were among the clubs he could join but said: "Nothing has been decided yet."

"I want to play at a big club, but I don't want to sit on the bench," he said. "It needs to be a club that plays good football."

Canal+ pundit Christophe Dugarry told Hazard: "I bet it's Chelsea."

Hazard, though, kept his cards close to his chest and replied: "Well, you're free to place your bets."

Hazard was elected Ligue 1's Player of the Season after helping Lille to a league and French Cup double last season.

Spurs ready to break bank for Hazard

Harry Redknapp has confirmed Tottenham are ready to smash their transfer-fee record to land £35 million-rated Lille wonderkid Eden Hazard, the Daily Mirror reported earlier.

The north Londoners will have to double the £16.9m they paid Blackburn for David Bentley four years ago to get their hands on the Belgian playmaker.

But boss Redknapp said: “If you want to be a top-four team you have to do things like this.

“If you want to compete with Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and the two Manchester clubs, you have to buy top players.”

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Redknapp says Hazard, who is understood to have a £35m buy-out clause in his contract, is exactly the kind of star he and chairman Daniel Levy believe can take Tottenham forward.

He went on: “He’s a talented player. He’s got great ability. He can do special things. A real good footballer.

“The chairman would deal with that. If anyone is talking to Lille it would be the chairman not me.

"He’s a player that I’ve watched an awful lot and he’s a real talent. But only the chairman would know where we are in terms of actually getting the player."

 

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