Chelsea are edging closer to a deal to bring the Belgian wonderkid Eden Hazard to Stamford Bridge. This comes after the Blues technical director Michael Emenalo was spotted last week in Marseille scouting Hazard, report The People.

Hazard has been consistently linked to a host of London clubs including Arsenal and Tottenham (Metro), however it appears their West London rivals are now in the driving seat to land the midfield prodigy. Both Manchester United (Daily Mail) and Manchester City (Daily Mail) have also been linked with Hazard.

Chelsea are said to be looking to bring him in by the end of January, this would benenfit them in two ways. Firstly, it would avoid sparking a bidding war in the summer. Secondly, they really could with a player like Hazard, and quickly.

Another goalless draw this weekend, this time at Norwich, shows Chelsea are lacking both in quality and depth, particularly in the middle of the park. Frank Lampard’s torn calf muscle has only exacerbated matters, and it looks like the Chelsea legend could be on his way to join David Beckham in Los Angeles.

Although Michael Essien’s return to fitness is a boost, someone needs to fill Lampard’s boots as Chelsea’s midfield is lacking a creative spark. Hazard seems like the perfect foil for Chelsea, however the only stumbling block could be his price tag.

It is understood Chelsea are after a deal worth £25 million, however as has been widely reported, Lille have said no less than £35 million will persuade them to let go of their best player.

André Villas-Boas has a big decision to make. Does he make a move now or wait until summer? A player like Hazard could be the difference between qualifying for the Champions League and dropping out of the top four, something Roman Abramovich surely wouldn’t accept.