Chelsea FC, after having accomplished nothing during the January transfer window, have now officially made the first acquisition of the Frank Lampard era in Ajax star Hakim Ziyech.
As was widely reported yesterday, the two sides reached an agreement that will see him stay at the Dutch side until the end of the season, and joining the Blues in the summer time. Here is the announcement tweet pertaining to the 26-year-old Moroccan forward:
We have some Hakim Ziyech news… ?
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 13, 2020
Ajax also confirmed the deal, announcing a fee of around $43.5 million. It is of course, still subject to personal terms.
The Chelsea website describes Hakim Ziyech as possessing: “awareness on the ball, is technically capable of executing very difficult passes to break down compact defences, and is also a set-piece specialist, particularly with vicious inswingers from the right side. He has been a prolific scorer throughout his career, with over 100 goals for club and country.”
Hakim Ziyech is a creative play maker who joined Ajax in the summer of 2016 from another Netherlands club, FC Twente. Contracted to his current club until 2022, he has eight goals and 21 assists across all competitions this season. Where he would fit in exactly at Stamford Bridge remains to be seen, as they do have a lot of young talent on the wings and in midfield.
However, the Blues have plateaued in mid-season after a hot start, and their issues in the final third have a lot of do with that.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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