Chelsea have beaten
off competition from Manchester
City — who had been clear favourites to sign the exciting
Belgium international but grew frustrated at the negotiations —
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur after becoming the only
club who would go close to meeting the forward’s
demands.
City are thought to have walked away from the deal last week
with Spurs giving up some time ago. Hazard, currently on
international duty and preparing to face England in a friendly this
weekend, indicated to Chelsea on Saturday that he was set to accept
their offer and yesterday took to the social media site Twitter to
announce that he had “made up my mind”, adding last night: “I’m
signing for the Champions League winner.”
Chelsea will pay a fee of around €40 million (£35.3 million) to
Lille, with Hazard having demanded wages of £4.6 million a year net
of tax, so around £9 million a year for his new employer. That
averages out at £170,000 a week.
In addition his agent, John Bico, who has conducted an
aggressive auction has made it clear that he wants a fee of £6
million.
If all the demands are met and with Hazard expected to agree a
five-year deal, it means the overall cost of the signing, fees and
contract will amount to around £78 million which, even by Chelsea
standards, is a substantial investment.
Chelsea hijacked City’s deal after receiving a call from Bico on
the eve of the Champions League final with the agent telling them
that he could persuade Hazard to join them if his demands were
met.
The 21 year-old can provide some of the width and creativity
that Chelsea have lacked although where he fits in remains to be
seen as he has suggested he wants to play as a classic ‘No 10’ — as
does Juan Mata.
The signing probably ends Chelsea’s interest in the Brazil
international Lucas Moura, who had been a prime target for previous
manager Andre Villas-Boas.
Chelsea are without a permanent manager with interim head coach
Roberto Di Matteo on holiday and not dealing with transfer targets
and negotiations.
Instead, technical director Michael Emenalo is working with
Abramovich to conduct Chelsea’s transfer business, which has so far
included signing the German international wide midfielder Marko
Marin for £6.5 million from Werder Bremen and releasing Jose
Bosingwa and Salomon Kalou, while Didier Drogba, also out of
contract, is leaving having agreed a deal with the Chinese club
Shanghai Shenzua.
It can be expected that the signing of Hazard will hasten the
departure of Florent Malouda, who has a year left on his contract
and is considering a number of offers, including a lucrative deal
from a Turkish club. Paulo Ferreira has also been told he can leave
with Chelsea aiming to sign a new right-back.
They have again been offered Ajax defender Gregory Van der Wiel,
who was a target of former sporting director Frank Arnesen.
Hazard becomes the fourth Belgian in the Chelsea squad but,
unlike the other three — Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and
goalkeeper Thibault Courtois — he will not be loaned out next
season.
Courtois spent a hugely successful season with Atletico Madrid
and is set to go back to Spain for the next campaign. It was
announced that first-choice Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, who
recently turned 30, had won his battle for a new contract and had
signed a four-year deal.
Hazard has enjoyed a hugely successful season in France, where
he was named Ligue 1 player of the year for the second season
running, scoring 17 goals in 37 league games.
City have spent 15 months wooing the player and he was their
guest at the recent Manchester derby having also been shown houses
in the area that afternoon. It had been claimed that Chelsea tried
to sign Hazard in January but their interest is far more
recent.
Abramovich has already told his aides that he intends to create
a young, hungry new team for next season. Chelsea also have a deal
in place to sign Hulk from Porto, but that was negotiated by
Villas-Boas.
Hulk’s agent, Teodoro Fonseca, has insisted Chelsea remain
interested.
Chelsea are also in the market for a top-class striker but
matters are complicated by Fernando Torres’s continued presence at
the club and the claims that he has been guaranteed by Abramovich
that he will have more opportunities next season.
Reacting to today's developments, a Chelsea spokesman said on
Monday night: "As with all transfers, when we have something to
announce, we will announce it in the usual way."
What they are saying about Hazard
"Hazard is a very good player. He has many qualities. He is
particularly rapid in the first 10 yards."
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson
"He can play in any top team in the world, today or
tomorrow."
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany
"His creative ability, his talent for unbalancing opponents, his
vision of the game, and his consummate skill in making the final
pass all make him an in-demand player."
Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger
"Eden is technically gifted and very fast. I would take him to
Real Madrid with my eyes closed. He can become a great footballer,
he is a star of the future".
Real Madrid director of football and former France
international Zinedine Zidane
"Faster than Zidane, more technique than Thierry Henry."
Former France international Christophe Dugarry
"At times he looks like Lionel Messi."
