Inter Milan Step Up Pursuit of £40m Arsenal-Target

Arsenal look set to miss out on long-term target Eden Hazard after Inter Milan stepped up their pursuit of the Lille play-maker.

Arsene Wenger has been keeping tabs on Hazard, 20, for over a year but he was put off making a formal approach by the French club's valuation of their star player.

Lille president Michel Seydoux placed a €50 million price tag on Hazard earlier in November but admitted that no player is irreplaceable after the 20-year-old signalled his desire to leave Ligue 1.

"I feel ready to make it to the next level at a big club," Hazard 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."

Inter are expected to wait until the summer before submitting an offer for the attacking midfielder, with Lille likely to hold out for close to their £43m asking price.

"There is a real chance that he will stay at Lille if we have a good season and he still sees challenges here," Seydoux told RTL.

"If we don't do well, it's probable that he will leave the club after this season as there's plenty of interest.

"Will €50 million be enough? Nobody is irreplaceable and there are solutions for that kind of money."