Chelsea Transfer News: Fabrizio Romano claims Hakim Ziyech will not move to Barcelona in January
According to Fabrizio Romano, the signing of Ferrán Torres by Barcelona would prevent a move that could have seen Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech link up at Camp Nou in the January transfer window.
Hakim Ziyech has failed to live up to the expectations at Chelsea. The Moroccan midfielder was sensational at Ajax and was crucial in their run to the semi-finals of the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League season. An able dribbler and an astute passer of the ball, Ziyech has shown glimpses of his best self at Stamford Bridge.
But there has been a lack of consistency. The lack of game time under Thomas Tuchel has been pushing Ziyech closer to a Chelsea exit. The Moroccan was heavily linked with a move to Barcelona but according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the move will now collapse.
The Catalan giants also targetted Manchester City forward Ferran Torres in recent times. It is believed that Joan Laporta’s board has approved the Spaniard’s signing, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets unveiled as a Barcelona player. It is believed that Xavi’s team paid £55m for the transfer, which is an astronomical number for a debt-ridden club.
Barcelona have been going through a bad economic state, and their advancement in Torres could put a big hole in their pocket. And they would already have a player that plays in a similar position as Ziyech, thus eliminating a need to spend heavily for the ex-Ajax ace.
Chelsea have been hit by an unavoidable injury and covid-related problems. The German manager was pushed to play defensive players like Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah in the middle of the pitch to cover up the absences. Recently the Dortmund manager took a risk by putting N’Golo Kanté and Mateo Kovačić on the pitch just after their return from injury. Moreover, Chelsea had to call up several youth players to fill up the positions at the first team during their Carabao cup tie against Brentford.
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Chelsea, hence, would be wise not to sell senior players in January. In contrast, Thomas Tuchel would require fresh reinforcements to tackle the busy schedule. Thus, the departure of Hakim Ziyech could have hurt Chelsea’s squad depth.
But him potentially staying at the Bridge beyond January, we could retain a vital member of our team’s midfield. It is no secret that Ziyech can turn games on its head even as a substitute. It is always good to have a player like him on our side rather than the oppositions’.