Transfer News: Manchester United prepare an official bid for Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech
Manchester United are said to be ready to launch an official bid for Chelsea midfielder Hakim Ziyech. This is according to French journalist Nabil Djellit via Twitter (h/t The Sun).
The Red Devils have struggled to bring in any of their top targets. Coach Erik ten Hag is still pushing for Frenkie de Jong, someone of interest to Chelsea too. Now they seem to have turned their attention to other players in the market and have identified one from a rival club.
It is said that Ziyech is one of the priorities at United, with Ten Hag interested in a reunion with his former Ajax player. The report also suggests that the Manchester club will meet the valuation of the player, as long as the Blues are not too ‘greedy’ with their asking price.
United are not the only club interested in the Moroccan midfielder. AC Milan are also in the race, but talks seem to have stalled. Chelsea bought the 29-year-old in 2020 for £37 million and now are said to be willing to accept as low as £8 million for the player.
Ziyech has struggled to establish himself in the team. After a good first season in which he won the Champions League, his form seems to have taken a hit. The midfielder has struggled for minutes and the arrival of Raheem Sterling also has pushed him further down the pecking order.
The 29-year-old who primarily plays as a right-winger managed to make 23 league appearances last season but started in only 14 of them. He also could manage only four goals and three assists in the process. The player has struggled for playing time and his performances on the pitch have not helped his cause.
He was part of the pre-season squad but failed to showcase his best. Ziyech remained an unused sub in both of the Blues’ league games this season and move away from Stamford Bridge could be beneficial for all. At just 29 years of age, the player can still offer a lot to many teams, but not Chelsea.
More Chelsea News:
- Cesare Casadei to join Chelsea from Inter Milan
- Everton youngster Anthony Gordon wants to leave the club for Chelsea
- Chelsea target Matheus Nunes to join Wolverhampton Wanderers
It remains to be seen if Chelsea will be willing to sell a player to their rival. They would have likely preferred that he go somewhere else in Europe. With two weeks remaining till the deadline, it will be interesting to see where Ziyech ends up.