The idea that Hakim Ziyech could end up on loan at Milan continues to flourish in Italy, as the Moroccan struggled to have the desired impact at Stamford Bridge under both Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel.
This will have become an even bigger issue within the San Siro board room following Hakan Calhanoglu’s move to Inter, which is why Gazzetta dello Sport focus on it on Tuesday.
The Chelsea man fits what Stefano Pioli is looking for, as the manager wants a player who can ‘bypass the opposing defences and trigger the forwards following different paths’, such as starting wide and cutting inside, but he ‘also knows how to move between the lines and act as a link with the midfield’.
The obstacle, however, ‘is economic’, and that’s ‘despite the Moroccan having ended up on the sidelines of Tuchel’s project’, as Chelsea ‘do not intend to deprive themselves of him without collecting a fee that avoids losses after the €40m invested last year’.
Therefore, for Milan, ‘the most suitable solution is a loan with the right of redemption, and the agreements to be made with the Stamford Bridge club, who will also have to cover part of the wages’.
Of the €6m he earns, the Italians would be ready to pay around a third of that, but all will rest on Marina Granovskaia, who proved rather inflexible during the talks for the Fikayo Tomori deal.
Chelsea weren’t that keen on letting the defender go, though, so her willingness might differ when the topic of Hakim Ziyech is approached.
We’ll just have to wait and see.