Arsenal Transfer News: Hazard Snubs the Gunners

Arsenal face an uphill struggle to sign Eden Hazard next summer after the Lille playmaker signalled his intent to play for Inter Milan.

Arsene Wenger has been monitoring Hazard for over a year but the 20-year-old Belgian international has attracted interest from a number of top European clubs after he revealed a desire to leave Ligue 1 at the end of the season.

"I feel ready to make it to the next level at a big club," he told L'Equipe in October. "I stayed in Lille this season because there were still things I had to work on, things to prove. But now, I'm ready."

Arsenal had an offer for Hazard rejected by Lille in the summer and the attacking midfielder moved to distance himself from speculation linking him to north London by claiming he would prefer to play in Serie A next season.

"Inter are a fantastic team," Hazard is quoted in talkSPORT. "It would be mythical to play there once. But now I insist I think about Lille and we'll see what happens at the end of the season."

Hazard, who is contracted to Lille until 2015, had been linked with a move to Ligue 1 rivals Paris Saint-Germain, but the player has confirmed his next move will be abroad.

"Paris is not for now," he said earlier in November. "Paris is magical, as they say. Of course it attracts me, but for now, no. In France I do not want to build a rival club to Lille. After France, I want to go abroad."