Eden Hazard Confirms Chelsea Transfer: "I'm Signing for the Champions League Winner"

tweeted yesterday afternoon that he had "made his mind up" over what club he was to join after becoming Europe's most wanted young talent. The player openly flirted with moves to Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea who were all monitoring the player closely and a move to the Premier League preferred. Hazard's friend Louis Saha then hinted that a move to Stamford Bridge was on the cards before Hazard himself confirmed his choice of destination last night. Hazard said;

"I'm signing for the Champions League winner."

There is still no official confirmation yet from either Lille or Chelsea that a deal has been agreed, though behind-the-scenes Hazard seems confident that the move will go through. Hazard has been rated at £32 million and reports in France suggest the Belgian international could earn as much as £100,000 a week after tax with a five-year contract expected. The decision to join Chelsea has surprised many as Manchester City and Manchester City, the top two clubs in the Premier League last season compared to Chelsea's sixth placed finish, were seen to be the favourites but the Blues Champions League victory on May 19th seems to have swung the move in Roman Abramovich's favour, especially as that victory over Bayern Munich confirmed Champions League football for Chelsea next season. Without that Hazard would likely have moved elsewhere. Plus, there are also reports that Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini could not offer a guarantee first team place for Hazard next season as he wants to squad rotate and the club were balking at his wages. Hazard had said previously that frequency of selection and the position he would play was as important to him as anything else before deciding on which club to join. He told Belgian news website HLN;

"It will anyway be Manchester City, Manchester United or Chelsea. "The decision will depend on the amount of play I would see and the position where I would play. "Not everyone can say that he can make a choice between the three top clubs."

Hazard signed off for Lille in style at the weekend scoring a hat trick to help the club finish third in Ligue 1 in what was almost certainly his last game for the club. He could now be confirmed as a Chelsea player before he lines-up for Belgium against England in Saturday's friendly at Wembley.