Blues manager Frank Lampard has admitted that he is hopeful Hakim Ziyech can make a “big impact on the Premier League” and improve Chelsea’s productivity in the attacking third when he joins the West London outfit from Ajax in July.
Ziyech’s impending switch to Stamford Bridge was confirmed earlier this week as Chelsea agreed to pay just over £33million upfront and a further £3.34m in add-ons for the 26-year-old midfielder, who will remain in Amsterdam for the remainder of this campaign.
Ahead of Chelsea’s encounter against Manchester United, Blues boss Lampard highlighted the qualities that attracted him to Ziyech, revealing he had tracked the player closely since he starred in Ajax’s 1-0 Champions League semi-final first-leg win against Tottenham at Wembley last May.
The 41-year-old Englishman explained that he has been keeping a close eye on Ziyech and is delighted with the Moroccan arriving at the English capital at the start of the new season, “Since then I’ve watched him a lot. He ticks lots of boxes and I’m delighted that we’re in a position where we can say he’ll be our player next season. He’ll have to obviously fit into the way we want to work here … and the energy we want in our team as everybody does, but the quality he’s got hopefully will be there for the fans to see.
However, Lampard also admitted that he wanted Ziyech to improve on Chelsea’s final ball as the playmaker has the ability to unlock tight defenses, “We’ve spoken a lot this season about games where we’ve maybe had a lot of balls but haven’t had that final bit. And I think hopefully he’s a player next season that can [provide that], with the quality he has with his crossing, passing, that final pass and shooting and scoring. At times we have struggled to have the finishing touch and hopefully, he can be a part of that puzzle. I see a player that can hopefully have a big impact on the Premier League and our team”
