Eden Hazard: How Will His Signing Affect Chelsea's Tactics in 2012/13?

The evolution has begun at Chelsea.

Again.

In June 2011, Chelsea's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich hired the youthful Andre Villas-Boas and handed him the task of breathing new life into a tired Chelsea.

That movement stalled as Villas-Boas fell out with the elder statesmen of the dressing room, while failing to produce the results that Abramovich both craved and demanded. 

Less than 12 months on, fresh optimism has engulfed Chelsea with the reported signing of the immensely talented Eden Hazard.

The 21-year-old Belgian will arrive at Chelsea under pressure to perform, as he is coming off a brilliant season with Lille in Ligue 1. Hazard was immense, slotting 20 goals and providing 15 assists on the way to his second consecutive Ligue 1 Player of the Year award.

Throughout this season, Hazard has felt like a big fish in a small pond, but he has now been given the opportunity to showcase his talents on a far larger scale. 

The next step for Chelsea is to find a way to maximise the talent at their disposal. At the moment this is a difficult task, seeing as no announcement has been made regarding the managerial post for next season. There is also the possibility of additional signings, with rumours linking Porto's Hulk with a big-money move to Stamford Bridge. 

With this in mind, how will Chelsea's forward line look in 2012/13?

A 4-2-3-1 formation would be the best way to harness the potential of Chelsea's attacking players and torment Premier League defenders.

If Fernando Torres can recapture the form that saw him put away 65 goals in 102 games during his Liverpool days, he would prove an effective spearhead for the Blues. With all the world-class passing players Chelsea has in their midfield, Torres has no excuses.

He has to score prolifically this season.  

Behind Torres, Hazard would wreak havoc cutting in from the left, Juan Mata would provide probing balls through the middle and possible signing Hulk would give wing backs nightmares rampaging down the right. 

Of course, at the moment this is all just guesswork. The signing of Hazard has not yet been officially announced by Chelsea and any move for Hulk is still in its infancy. The unpredictable nature of the modern transfer market means anything can happen between now and next season.

Despite this, the very prospect of Hazard, Hulk and Mata storming down the field at Stamford Bridge should have Chelsea fans everywhere feeling like Christmas came early.