FRANK Lampard might well be in a better mood now. Clearly frustrated by Chelsea’s lack of activity over January, the former midfielder even went as far as labelling his side “underdogs” in the race to finish in the Premier League’s top four this season following a barren transfer window. Lampard might soon have a new face to welcome to Stamford Bridge, though.
Reports emerged on Wednesday that Chelsea have agreed a fee of €45 million with Ajax for the signing of Hakim Ziyech with the Dutch-born Moroccan international expected to make the move to the Premier League this summer. Of course, this will be nothing to boost Chelsea’s top four challenge in the immediate term, but Ziyech’s signing would surely appease Lampard and underline the club’s faith in the former midfielder’s vision.
The addition of a right-sided wide man had been high on the Blues’ priorities. Willian, Pedro and Callum Hudson-Odoi have all been deployed in that position by Lampard this season, but none have fully satisfied him. Jadon Sancho and Wilfried Zaha had been mentioned as targets, but Ziyech now tops Chelsea’s shortlist potentially clearing the way for Manchester United to move for the former.
According to sources in the Netherlands, Chelsea have agreed a deal of €45million for Ajax winger Hakim Ziyech pic.twitter.com/zP4XVWBvi6
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) February 12, 2020
That Ziyech has been left on the transfer market for so long is quite remarkable. The 27-year-old was a breakout star of Ajax’s run to the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, but while Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt got big money moves to Barcelona and Juventus respectively on the back of this Ziyech was left on the shelf despite his relatively cheap asking price – a €30 million release clause was believed to exist in the player’s contract until August.
Even as a right-sided operator, Ziyech is Ajax’s creative hub. He has notched eight goals and 16 assists in 24 appearances for the Dutch champions this season. The Moroccan not only averages more key passes per game (3.7) than any of his team-mates, but more shots per game (4.7) too. Ajax will feel Ziyech’s departure more acutely than de Jong and de Ligt’s.
While Sancho is an orthodox winger, Ziyech is more of a wide playmaker. He is capable of stretching the pitch and getting forward at pace, but the signing of the 27-year-old would ease Chelsea’s need for a central playmaker behind the striker. As something of a winger-playmaker hybrid, Ziyech would address two key deficiencies for the Blues.
Mason Mount has been used as a central playmaker, albeit from a position on the left side of a midfield three, by Lampard, but the youngster has faded over the course of the season. Ziyech’s propensity for cutting inside and linking up with the central striker means someone like Mateo Kovacic could provide some midfield structure alongside Jorginho and N’Golo Kante.
Of course, Ziyech’s addition would do nothing to mitigate Chelsea’s need for a new striker, with Lampard unhappy with his current options. The Blues are also still light in the full back areas and will surely enter the summer transfer market for at least one new centre back. They could even target a new goalkeeper with Lampard seemingly far from convinced by Kepa Arrizabalaga.
There is a big reconstruction job to be undertaken at Stamford Bridge and having gone the last two transfer windows without making a single signing Chelsea have effectively still to get started. The addition of Ziyech would set a precedent for the standard of player needed at the club. The reported price would also highlight that value can still be found in an otherwise inflated marketplace. In almost every way, Ziyech would be perfect for Lampard and Chelsea.
