Possibly the most talked-about player in the transfer markets these last few months is the Lille midfielder Eden Hazard,
and for good reason. The 21 year-old Belgian tyro is an incredibly
tricky dribbler, with the ability to hit the target from distance or
beat his man on either side.
Last season he created 17 goals for his club in 38 appearances, and he has continued to improve this term with 11 goals and 7 assists in his first 26 games. His side aren’t top of the table this year, partly due to the massive finances being expended in Paris, but they still lie third in the table and Hazard has played a massive part in that.
He has been at Lille since 2005, and the title win last season was the culmination of some superb work on a long-term scale by both the scouts and the manager. Hazard has played with the likes of Moussa Sow, Gervinho, Rio Mavuba and Benoit Pedretti in the last two years, and Joe Cole joined him on loan this year as well, having fallen out of favour at Liverpool. Hazard has graduated from being a young player with a lot of potential to being the star man of the side, and that he now feels he has outgrown the club is no secret.
Unsurprisingly this has attracted a good deal of attention from around the continent, and when the news broke on Twitter a few weeks ago that Spurs had stolen a march on the competition and secured his transfer, but those reports seem to have premature and the race is still on to make the young man a star of a big league. Arsenal fans in particular have been vocal about their desire to see him play for their side, but the reality is that, despite a rumoured €40m transfer fee Hazard will have the pick of a large number of clubs this summer. Hazard is the favorite to win Ligue 1′s player of the season award, which could be presented to him on May 14, 2012.
Last season he created 17 goals for his club in 38 appearances, and he has continued to improve this term with 11 goals and 7 assists in his first 26 games. His side aren’t top of the table this year, partly due to the massive finances being expended in Paris, but they still lie third in the table and Hazard has played a massive part in that.
He has been at Lille since 2005, and the title win last season was the culmination of some superb work on a long-term scale by both the scouts and the manager. Hazard has played with the likes of Moussa Sow, Gervinho, Rio Mavuba and Benoit Pedretti in the last two years, and Joe Cole joined him on loan this year as well, having fallen out of favour at Liverpool. Hazard has graduated from being a young player with a lot of potential to being the star man of the side, and that he now feels he has outgrown the club is no secret.
Unsurprisingly this has attracted a good deal of attention from around the continent, and when the news broke on Twitter a few weeks ago that Spurs had stolen a march on the competition and secured his transfer, but those reports seem to have premature and the race is still on to make the young man a star of a big league. Arsenal fans in particular have been vocal about their desire to see him play for their side, but the reality is that, despite a rumoured €40m transfer fee Hazard will have the pick of a large number of clubs this summer. Hazard is the favorite to win Ligue 1′s player of the season award, which could be presented to him on May 14, 2012.
