Borussia Monchengladbach have successfully battled off stern competition for Chelsea youngster Thorgan Hazard. Hazard will spend next season on loan at Gladbach.
Hazard becomes Gladbach's fifth summer recruit, joining Andre Hahn, Ibrahima Traore, Yann Sommer and Fabian Johnson through the door. Hazard is an attacking midfielder whom like his elder brother Eden can play out wide. Hazard has been allocated the number 26 jersey.
The twenty-one year old has spent the past two seasons on-loan at Belgian top division outfit, Zulte Waragem. In his two year spell he made seventy-three appearances and scored eighteen times across all competitions.
He was named Belgian player of the year last season and was a reported target of fellow Belgian side Anderlecht and narrowly missed out on travelling to Brazil with the national team.
Borussia's sporting director Max Eberl all but confirmed the deal days ago stating ‘We have exchanged contracts with Chelsea and we have agreed with Thorgan, we have all agreed and now just need to sign the contracts.’
Upon announcing the deal, Eberl spoke of his fondness towards his new signing "He is a promising talent, versatile and we are delighted that he has decided to take the next step with us."
It remains uncertain as to where Hazard will fit in whether he'll battle for a wing spot with Gladbach's three able wingers or whether he'll act as an understudy to key player Raffael in the number 10 role, One thing for sure though is Gladbach have acquired one of Belgium's up and coming "golden generation" players.