This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Chelsea may be ‘stuck’ with out-of-favour midfielder Hakim Ziyech this summer even though they are keen to ship him out of Stamford Bridge, according to journalist Paul Brown.
What’s the latest transfer news involving Hakim Ziyech?
As recounted by talkSPORT, Ziyech was set to move to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr before his move collapsed owing to a knee injury found while he was doing his medical at the club.
In turn, Chelsea have now missed out on the chance to inherit a transfer fee of £8 million, while Ziyech himself would’ve earned £9 million from the switch to the Middle East.
For the second time in a year, the £100k-a-week ace has now missed out on a transfer away from Stamford Bridge at the last second, as he was set to join Paris Saint-Germain on loan in January before a technical issue with paperwork scuppered the deal, as per Sky Sports.
Ziyech has taken a swipe at Al Nassr on social media in the aftermath of his failed medical, posting a story on Instagram with the caption “Knee problems, right?” accompanied by two laughing face emojis, as per The Daily Mail.
Chelsea bought Ziyech from Ajax back in 2020 for an initial fee of £33.6 million, rising to £36.6 million in add-ons, though he has endured a tough spell in SW6, as per BBC Sport.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown believes that Chelsea could be met with the awkward scenario of Ziyech potentially being stuck at Stamford Bridge in light of his knee issue being uncovered during a medical examination.
Brown told FFC: “Most of the interest that’s come in for Ziyech over the last year or so has been to take him on loan and I think a lot of clubs who may have been interested before would be wary at this news that has come up in his medical, so it’s really not good news for Chelsea who want him out and not great news for Ziyech either. He might be stuck at the club; we’ll see.”
Does Hakim Ziyech have a future at Chelsea?
Ziyech has struggled to make a major impact at Stamford Bridge since joining Chelsea back in 2020 and an exit from his current employers would be a wise move to get his career back on track if possible.
In his time in west London, Ziyech has amassed 107 appearances in all competitions for the Blues, registering 14 goals and 13 assists, as per Transfermarkt.
More unfortunate news could be set to come the way of Ziyech, with Chelsea believed to be in the market for an attack-minded midfield option this summer, which could push him further down the pecking order in SW6.
Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga is of interest to Chelsea and has been identified as a potential replacement for Mason Mount following his move to Manchester United, as per The Guardian.
Corriere dello Sport via METRO claim that Roma’s Paulo Dybala is also on the Blues’ radar and he could be available for a cut-price fee of around £10 million if his release clause is activated.
There looks to be no way back for Ziyech at Chelsea; however, potential suitors for the Dronten-born ace may now dry up due to his knee issue.
