• Premier League

Chelsea formally complete Hazard signing

ESPN staff
June 4, 2012
Eden Hazard has signed for Chelsea © Getty Images
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Chelsea have announced that they have completed the signing of Lille forward Eden Hazard.

Hazard, who had earlier confirmed his intention to join the Champions League winners on Twitter, agreed personal terms with the Blues and passed a medical on Monday before signing a contract with the club.

Neither the length of the contract or the size of the transfer fee - believed to be around £32 million - has been confirmed by the Premier League side.

The Belgium international, who played against England at Wembley on Saturday and stayed in England to seal his big-money move, will join up with his new team-mates when the summer transfer window officially opens in July.

"I'm delighted to finally arrive here, it's a wonderful club and I can't wait to get started," Hazard said.

Both Manchester United and Manchester City had been keen to sign Hazard, while Real Madrid and Barcelona had earlier been linked, but he believes he has made the right choice.

He told French radio station RMC: "When they won the Champions League, I told myself, 'Why not Chelsea?'. There was a struggle between Chelsea and United but, for me, Chelsea has the best project. The team is young and I have a better chance to play there.

"At 21, Real or Barca would have been more difficult for me. If I play well enough at Chelsea, I could win my place in the starting team."

The 21-year-old becomes Chelsea's second signing of the summer so far, after they completed a deal for Werder Bremen attacker Marko Marin. He is also the fourth Belgian on the west London club's books - following in the footsteps of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, striker Romelu Lukaku and forward Kevin De Bruyne.

Hazard scored 21 goals and added a further 18 assists during 48 games for Lille this season. He joined the French side, with whom he won the Ligue 1 title in 2011, from Belgian side Tubize as a youth player in 2005.

Hazard, who can play as a striker or out wide in an attacking three, also has 28 international caps for Belgium.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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