Boehly left red-faced as Chelsea deal collapses in last-minute twist; Blues miss out on £8m windfall
Chelsea attacker Hakim Ziyech’s move to Saudi club Al-Nassr has reportedly collapsed after he failed to reach an agreement on personal terms.
This comes as a major blow to Mauricio Pochettino’s transfer plans, as he looks to balance the books after a season of huge spending from Todd Boehly.
Now, with Ziyech deemed surplus to requirements by Chelsea, the London club will have to find another club willing to buy him this summer.
As noted by Football365, it was widely reported that Ziyech had reached a full verbal agreement to sign for Al Nassr. Indeed, he was expected to sign a contract until 2026.
Chelsea were willing to accept a fee of just £8m for the 30-year-old. This would have allowed them to get his wages of £100,000-per-week wage off the books, too.
But now, those plans have gone up in flames. This is according to sources in the Gulf (as cited by the Sun), which claim that the move collapsed after Ziyech could not reach an agreement on personal terms with Al Nassr.
Although, conflicting reports claim that the deal collapsed due to him failing his medical. Either way, though, the former Ajax star’s anticipated transfer is now off.
Chelsea fans have been left furious. In fact, several have taken to social media to say that Ziyech ‘should be released,’ as noted by the Sun.
Since joining Chelsea in 2020, he has made 107 appearances. In the process, he has scored 14 goals and made 13 assists.
Despite showing flashes of brilliance, the Moroccan saw his playing time diminish last season. Overall, he featured just 18 times in the Premier League, with the majority of these appearances seeing him come off the bench.
Clearly, Chelsea want to get rid of him as soon as possible. So, they will hope another club takes a punt on him this summer.
Ziyech also came close to leaving Chelsea in January. Indeed, Paris Saint-Germain thought they had signed him up until the final day of the window when the Blues failed to register his sale before the deadline. This was despite the Ziyech doing ‘everything in his power’ to complete the move.
Now, Chelsea could be left to regret not getting that deal done.
The attacker’s deal is valid until 2025, so, they have three options: pay off his contract, find another club to sell him to (probably for a low fee) or leave him on the bench for two years.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if another club make an offer for Ziyech. Given his wages, though, another Saudi club remains his most likely destination.
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