EPL Breaking News: "I Think I'm Heading to England," Says Eden Hazard

ESPN Soccernet is reporting that 21-year-old Belgian starlet Eden Hazard has announced his intent to play in England next season.

"I have [played in] over 100 Ligue 1 matches, I'm young but I want to know anything else," [Hazard] told Canal+. "Paris is tempting with the players there now but I prefer to go abroad.

I think I'm heading to England, the style of play suits me there and I think it's in this league that I can learn as much. We know the great English clubs. It will be a club where I'm sure to play with a play style that suits me."

Hazard's contract with Lille runs until 2015, but after rampant speculation concerning his future—he was tipped to leave the Northern French club last summer along with the current January transfer window—it appears that the time frame for his imminent departure has finally been set.

The winger, who has been tipped by French legend Zinedine Zidane as one of the stars of the future, is coming off a 2010-11 season in which he won the domestic double with Les Dogues and earned UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year honors.

He was the youngest player ever awarded that honor, adding to an already-illustrious palmares that includes back-to-back UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year awards (2008-09, 2009-10,) all while playing for Lille.

In 21 league matches this season, he has eight goals and seven assists.

With his country of preference now known, the most pressing question shifts to which club he will sign with come the end of the season in May.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal appear to be the front-runners, and with compatriot Romelu Lukaku already at Chelsea and former Lille teammate Gervinho now with the Gunners, he does have links to two of the clubs.

Joe Cole, under contract with Liverpool but currently on a season-long loan deal with Lille, said in November that he would welcome a swap deal with Hazard.

The Daily Mail reported last November that Lille have slapped a £43 million price tag on their young star. Now, all that remains to be seen is who will be willing to pay that healthy sum.