Prized asset: Lille midfielder Eden Hazard (left) is
wanted across Europe
Eden Hazard is set to deal a
blow to Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester rivals City and United by
snubbing a move to the Barclays Premier League in favour of joining
Real Madrid or Inter Milan.
The Belgium star, a club-mate
of Joe Cole at Lille, is also admired at Barcelona, but Real remain
favourites to sign Hazard with the player said to be ready to
pursue a dream move to the Bernabeu.
However, Hazard also appeared
to open the door to the Italian giants by admitting he is pleased
to be linked to the club.
'Inter is a fantastic squad,'
Hazard told Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport. 'They have
great champions. If you play for a club like Inter you have to be
considered a top player.
'Of course the interests of
top clubs can only please me.
'When a great club like Inter
that has won so much wants me, this can only make me
proud.'
The English clubs' hopes of
landing Hazard appear all but over with Madrid director of football
Zinedine Zidane recommending to the club's powerbrokers that they
add the attacking midfielder to Jose Mourinho's squad, according to
the Mirror.
The 20-year-old insists,
however, that he will not make a decision regarding his future
until the end of the season.
'For the time being I'm not
thinking about the future,' Hazard said.
'My focus is on Lille. It's my
agent that takes care of negotiations.'
Hazard warning: The Belgium star has already to Lille
he will be leaving in 2012
Lille will demand at least
£40million for the 20-year-old star and big-spending Paris St
Germain were lining up a huge bid, only for Hazard to insist he
would be leaving France altogether next summer.
'I am ready to go to the next
level at a big club,' Hazard told French newspaper L'Equipe last
month. 'I won't leave in January. It would be silly to do so. But
it's my last season at Lille.
'I stayed with Lille this year
because I still had things to work on and prove. But now I'm ready.
I feel able to play in another country.'
Hazard was instrumental in
Lille winning the French league and the French Cup last season and
was voted the Ligue 1's Player of the Year by his fellow
professionals.
Hazard is under contract with
Lille until June 2015.
