Just weeks after the January transfer window shut, Chelsea have set the transfer world alight, sorting out a deal for Ajax’s Hakim Ziyech.
That’s what Voetbal International revealed on Wednesday, and a number of other outlets have followed suit, including another Dutch source in De Telegraaf.
The newspaper have a lengthy article on the matter on their website, confirming an ‘oral agreement’ between the two clubs for the Morocco international for around €45m.
Despite his great season last year, Ziyech’s summer was relatively calm, but De Telegraaf explain that was mainly down to the forward ‘own pickiness’ and ‘the reluctance of his agent, Mustapha Nakhli’.
Sevilla gave it a go, but the player felt it ‘wasn’t worth leaving Ajax’ for that particular La Liga move, making the decision ‘to leave only if an absolute top club’ came knocking.
Despite Marc Overmars’ phone ‘ringing frequently’, it’s Chelsea that ‘have been the most effective so far’, and even made attempts to get something done in January, but it’s explained ‘that was impossible’ for the Eredivisie leaders.
However, De Telegraaf reveal that ‘Lampard finds Ziyech such a top player’ that as soon as the winter transfer window shut, he ‘instructed the club to immediately complete a deal for the summer period’, which is now ‘successful’.
It’s now down to the player himself, and until he’s signed for the Blues, other clubs can come in, but it’s believed talks are ‘at the moment only taking place with Chelsea’ and Ajax ‘haven’t wanted to close a deal with other clubs either’.
It appears that barring an impressive U-turn, Lampard has got his man and Ziyech is on the verge of completing his big move away from Amsterdam.
