Transfer News: Borussia Dortmund open to paying a substantial amount for Chelsea ace Hakim Ziyech
According to BILD (h/t Football.London), Borussia Dortmund would have ‘no problem’ paying €40m (£34m) to secure the services of Chelsea starlet Hakim Ziyech.
The 28-year-old player was part of the Ajax Amsterdam team that fought all the odds to reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2019. They were within touching distance of the final but a spectacular performance by Lucas Moura on the day meant that the fairy tale had officially ended for the Dutch club.
Ziyech was an integral part of that side and was snatched up by the Blues in the aftermath of some amazing performances. He made the switch to the Stamford Bridge outfit for £33.3m but has struggled to maintain the same level of performances that he did with the Eredivise club.
The latest report believes that BVB will be willing to pay that amount to bring the former Ajax player to Signal Iduna Park. The Morrocan international has made 49 appearances for the West London club so far during which time he has scored eight goals and provided five assists. Injury issues have also proven to be a thorn in his side ever since joining the Blues.
The London-based club have built a great attacking threat along with an assured presence at the back. Chelsea have been enjoying this season as they currently sit on the top of the table. Ziyech has seen himself go down on the pecking order at Stamford Bridge recently.
That being said the Blues have to compete in several competitions and the crucial stages of these tournaments are about to start. Thomas Tuchel would be looking to utilize as many players as possible to preserve the fitness of key players at such a time.
The German manager wouldn’t want to add to a seemingly growing list of injuries that already includes Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, Jorginho, and Mason Mount for now. While these players should be able to return to action the other players could be given an opportunity to make their mark in the first team.
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Ziyech could benefit from such a situation. With that in mind, the fans would be hoping that the 28-year-old midfielder could rejuvenate himself and show the results that he produced at Ajax continuously. This could make Tuchel’s job of selecting the starting 11 difficult once all his first-team stars are up and running, but then again wouldn’t every manager love such a headache.