Belgian Ace Eyes Premier League Move

Eden Hazard has put Arsenal and Chelsea on red-alert after the Lille midfielder revealed he was "leaning towards" a move to the Premier League in the summer.

Hazard, 21, has been linked with a move to England since the summer, with a number of top European sides believed to be keeping tabs on the winger.

Chelsea were reportedly closing in on a deal for the Belgium international earlier this month but the player has since indicated he is unlikely to leave France before the end of the season.

Should Hazard remain at the Ligue 1 side until the summer, a number of top European clubs - including Arsenal, Real Madrid and Manchester United - could challenge Chelsea for the player's signature.

Hazard is believed to be one of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's top targets for next year and the player's latest comments will only encourage the Frenchman's pursuit of the winger.

"After thinking about it, I'm leaning towards England," Hazard told Canal+ - as quoted on talkSPORT. "It's a style of play that suits me and it's there that you can learn the most.

"I want to play for a big club, but also one where I will play every week. I've played more than 100 games in Ligue 1 so I would prefer to go abroad. I want to discover something new and playing abroad is a conscious decision."

Hazard is one of Europe's most highly-regarded youngsters, an electric playmaker who has scored eight goals in 21 appearances this season.

Lille are rumoured to value the player at around £33m but are likely to accept bids in the region of £25m should the player attempt to force through a move in the summer.

And a Lille official indicated that the club would listen to offers at the end of the current campaign.

"Yes, we have received a lot of very interesting proposals," club administrator Jean-Michel Vandamme told the Daily Mail. "But the club want the player immediately and on this we have a very clear idea: Hazard will remain at least until the end of the season. He will not go."

Meanwhile, Hazard indicated that, while his future is yet to be decided, he will not countenance a move to a club where he is not a valued member of the first-team.

"Nothing has been decided yet. I want to play at a big club, but I don't want to sit on the bench. It needs to be a club that plays good football," he added.