Hakim Ziyech is set to undergo his medical at Al-Nassr after Chelsea agreed to a £12m deal with the Saudi Pro League club.
As reported by Santi Aouna and Fabrizio Romano, the midfielder is set to leave Stamford Bridge and join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. This comes after a rocky three years at the West London club for the Moroccan winger. In the 2022/23 season, Ziyech contributed 3 assists in the limited game time he was given, but unfortunately, his season in the Premier League turned out to be a goalless affair.
Over his three-year stint at Chelsea, Ziyech featured in 107 games for the club, but his contributions did not match his reputation. With 14 goals and 13 assists throughout his tenure at Stamford Bridge, it’s safe to say that he did not live up to the €40m price that Chelsea paid to acquire his services.
Ziyech’s departure is just one of a whole slew of players leaving the club for greener pastures, while Chelsea looks to bolster their squad and go back to fighting for the top 4, if not the league, by next season. It is safe to say that the Moroccan international would have languished on the bench if he stayed at the club, so the move was a win-win for both club and player.
Frank Lampard was a massive fan of Ziyech, with him being the one pushing Chelsea to sign the former Ajax midfielder at all costs. There’s no saying how good he would’ve become if things had panned out well for Lampard, but ifs and buts aren’t the deciding factor if a transfer went well, goals and assists are. With Ziyech falling short on both aspects, it’s hard to see any merit in the Moroccan’s fee.
Ziyech is set to join Al-Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, following a long list of players from Europe’s top leagues in their quest for Saudi Arabia and its riches. Hopefully, his footballing prowess will shine a bit better in the Saudi Pro League.
