The Morocco international looks bound for Stamford Bridge and his current gaffer insists that the team has been thrilled to keep him as long as they did.
Ajax director Erik ten Hag has all but confirmed Hakim Ziyech’s possible move to Chelsea, admitting that he was amazed the club managed to keep hold of their attacker as long as they did.
Target may also confirm that the Blues attempted to signal the Ziyech this January, but were informed by the Ajax a move at the conclusion of the year was the preferred option.
Should both club finalise a deal, Ziyech would eventually become Frank Lampard’s first signing because the prior midfielder took over as director of the Blues.
And Ten Hag all but confirmed that talks are progressing smoothly on Wednesday while also revealing that this is a move that has been anticipated for quite some time.
“Ziyech into Chelsea? A move was coming, we expected it to occur,” the supervisor told Fox Sports. “And I really already anticipated that this one or two years before. And each time it was:’Wow, he remained again’. We are just happy that we’ll still have him before the conclusion of the year”
Ziyech has scored 48 goals while providing 82 aids in 159 matches for Ajax since making the move to Amsterdam from FC Twente in 2016.
After Ajax’s run to the Champions League semi-finals last season, Ziyech was among many stars expected to leave the club last summer.
In the end, Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt were offered to Barcelona and Juventus respectively to get enormous sums on the insides of the breakout campaigns.
This season, Ziyech and Ajax sit atop the Eredivisie, together with the Moroccan offering six goals and 12 assists in 18 league games.
But they were unable to recreate a year’s bewitching European run, as a third-place end behind Valencia and Chelsea saw the Dutch powerhouse fall into the Europa League.
During the Champions League group stage, though, Ziyech was able to create one magnificent second, scoring an amazing free-kick against what could just be his next club at the fixture in Stamford Bridge.
