Moroccan international football player Hakim Ziyech has expressed his wish to leave English club Chelsea FC this summer, Corriere Dello Sport reported.
According to the Italian newspaper, Ziyech has asked for a meeting with club director Marina Granovskaia to discuss his options.
Currently linked to Chelsea FC with a contract that extends until 2025, the Moroccan playmaker is reportedly dissatisfied with the lack of playtime he has with the club, especially since the arrival of coach Thomas Tuchel in January 2021.
In the last three games of Chelsea FC in the Premier League, Ziyech did not get a single minute on the pitch, despite being fit to play.
Even prior to Tuchel’s arrival in London, the 27-year-old player did not get as much playtime as he wished, notably due to two injuries in September and December 2020. Since he joined Chelsea FC in July 2020, Ziyech has only participated in 19 games, including six where he started on the bench.
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According to Corriere Dello Sport, several prominent Italian clubs have expressed their interest in recruiting Ziyech, including AS Roma, Juventus FC, and AC Milan.
In a recent interview, Ziyech admitted that his first months with Chelsea FC were “difficult” and that “things are not going the way [he] hoped.”
Despite injuries and the lack of playtime, the right-winger expressed his determination to return to his peak performance level. “The real Ziyech will be back,” he said.
However, whether “the real Ziyech” will return with Chelsea FC or with a different team remains to be seen.
What is certain at the moment is that the player’s performance in England is far from the “magic” he used to make in Amsterdam with AFC Ajax.
His two goals and four assists so far with Chelsea FC pale in comparison with his 21 goals and 24 assists with AFC Ajax in 2018-2019, or even his eight goals and 21 assists in 2019-2020.
