Al Nassr’s president ‘will visit London in a bid to sign Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech’
Al Nassr president ‘will visit London to sign Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech’…
- The 30-year-old has struggled for minutes under Chelsea’s four coaches this season
- It is believed that the Moroccan star is interested in playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo
- Ziyech’s teammate N’Golo Kante has also been tempted by the Saudi Pro League
According to reports, Hakim Ziyech could become the latest star to move to the Saudi Pro League as they continue their ambitious recruitment campaign for the European top flight.
The Chelsea winger has received an initial offer from Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr side, and the club’s president is reportedly traveling to London to entice the Morocco international to accept the deal.
Ziyech moved from Ajax in blistering form to join The Blues for the 2020/21 season, but despite flashes of his quality in his first season, he gradually fell out of then head coach Thomas Tuchel’s plans.
Ziyech, largely unused by Tuchel’s successor Graham Potter, had planned to move to Paris Saint-Germain on loan in January, but the transfer fell through in the dying minutes of the deadline following administrative breakdowns in west London.
Since then, Ziyech has made a frustrated figure on the sidelines, making occasional guest appearances under Potter and Frank Lampard, but failed to make his way back into the starting eleven.
Hakim Ziyech is courted by Saudi side Al-Nassr as he seeks a West London exit
The Moroccan-Dutch winger would like to play with Cristiano Ronaldo next season
From Foot MercatoZiyech would be tempted to move to the Kingdom, partly because of the opportunity to play alongside Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr after the World Cup in Qatar.
Ronaldo may not be thrilled to run into Ziyech again after the winger played a key role in his Moroccan side and knocked Portugal out of the competition in what was most likely the former Real Madrid star’s final appearance.
Ziyech looked back at his best in the winter World Cup, helping the Atlas Lions secure their best-ever finish – and the best by an African team in the history of the tournament – after finishing fourth.
His inclusion in the squad was not a foregone conclusion after the player retired from international matches in early 2022 due to an ongoing conflict between Ziyech and then coach Vahid Halilhodzic.
But after Halilhodzic was sacked three months before the start of the tournament and replaced by Moroccan legend Walid Regragui, Ziyech returned to the squad.
The 30-year-old had a World Cup to remember after finishing fourth with Morocco in Qatar
The Saudi Pro League is able to offer top stars such as Karim Benzema – who signed a £258 million deal – bumper contracts to play in the Kingdom
Ziyech is likely to be offered a top contract to lure him to Al-Nassr, and Chelsea will not stand in the player’s way.
The Blues are looking to trim their bloated roster after its ranks swelled to more than 30 players after an overactive transfer window in January.
Funds from Ziyech’s sale – as the player is under contract to remain in West London until 2025 – will also help Chelsea’s desire to balance the books and avoid breaching Financial Fair Play regulations .
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have spent more than £600 million since their takeover in May 2022 by co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, including breaking the UK’s all-time record with a £107 million bid for World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez.