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Thursday, February 13, 2020 at half past twelve
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Hakim Ziyech finally has his long-awaited transfer abroad. The attacking midfielder, who has been one of Ajax’s signboards for years, leaves if everything goes according to plan for around 45 million euros to Chelsea. Ziyech saw fellow figureheads Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt leave Ajax after the crazy 2018/19 season, but remained at his post. Almost a year later, the picky game-maker is finally ready for his first adventure outside the Eredivisie. Ziyech must give Chelsea the desired attacking impulses.
By Rian Rosendaal
In December Marc Overmars, director of football affairs, already had a visionary view of the future of Ziyech. “It will be harder to keep the selection intact,” the driver predicted in conversation with The Telegraph. “Because I know our agreements and because Ajax players are loved everywhere. We want to think along with players and because we act as a reliable partner, players also think along with us. If players have had their merits for Ajax, we are there grateful for it and we will not block a transfer. ” Ziyech chooses Chelsea, while Donny van de Beek seems ready for the move to Real Madrid this summer. “Donny and Hakim have been here a long time and have brought Ajax so much beauty,” says Overmars.
Ziyech could have left Ajax much earlier. In 2018, AS Roma knocked on the door, although it continued i Giallorossi finally preferred the arrival of Javier Pastore. Six months later the Italians returned, but then Ziyech was no longer hungry. “They should have thought in the summer,” he said to him FOX Sports. Last summer, Seville was told a clear “no”. “Definitely a nice club, but there was a technical director (Monchi, ed.), Who wanted to get me to AS Roma a year earlier. Everything was as good as round, until he didn’t hear anything from him. And then I now come to his club “, Ziyech said in January Algemeen Dagblad. To add immediately. “Not so, take a good look, I won’t let myself beep.”
At the time of Ziyech’s interview with the above-mentioned newspaper, Chelsea’s interest became increasingly concrete. Manager Frank Lampard had his arrows on the Ajax driver, now the Blues were finally allowed to do business again on the transfer market. The Eredivisie leader did not want the international of Morocco to go to London in the meantime. Ziyech will report to Stamford Bridge in six months’ time. A big relief for Lampard, who unsuccessfully searched for a quality injection for the forward positions in January. Borussia Dortmund sensation Jadon Sancho was mentioned, but with a price tag of more than one hundred million euros that seemed to be an impossible task in advance. The alleged interest in Moussa Dembélé also led to nothing. The Europa League winner is said to have made a serious bid of forty million euros with Olympique Lyon. However, the young attacker is still employed by les Gones. In addition, the names of Dries Mertens and Edinson Cavani were forced.
Frustrations at Lampard
Lampard therefore missed out on the transfer market and recently let go of his frustrations about that. “Look at Manchester United. With Bruno Fernandes they make a great player, a world-class player. At least, that’s my opinion,” said the young Chelsea manager in the English media. “And teams that are close to us, such as Sheffield United, also make great purchases,” Lampard referred to attracting Sander Berge in the final phase of the transfer period. “Tottenham Hotspur has also attracted some good players (Steven Bergwijn and Gedson Fernandes, ed.). I don’t want to talk to you about it, but it looks like we have degenerated into underdogs. The clubs around us in the rankings have indeed strengthened themselves. “Maurizio Sarri’s successor would love to have presented some purchases in West London.” That seems clear to me, yes. I really wanted to strengthen the selection. I have made that clear more than once in the last two weeks. Unfortunately, none of it ended up. ”
421- Hakim Ziyech has created 421 goalscoring chances for teammates in the Dutch Eredivisie since his Ajax debut in September 2016; 134 more than any other player. Threatening. pic.twitter.com/zcLPt3X4lT
– OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 12, 2020
Ziyech as the new Hazard?
Frustrated Lampard immediately instructed Marina Granovskaia football affairs to ask Zaxye again about Ajax. A deal for around 45 million euros was quickly concluded between both clubs. According to The Telegraph However, it does not stop at attracting the Ajax midfielder, as the transfer budget for next summer is estimated at 180 million euros. However, the desired successor to Eden Hazard has already been attracted, as Kaveh Solhekol believes. The reporter follows Chelsea on behalf of Sky Sports on the foot. “The arrival of Ziyech makes sense. Lampard has recently indicated that he wants to get a permanent replacement from Hazard to Chelsea. Ziyech is not as good as Hazard, but he is getting closer to that level. He was one of the excel in the 4-4 draw against Chelsea in the Champions League and also clearly played a role in the duels with Tottenham Hotspur of last season. ”
Marcel van der Kraan, who as a reporter for The Telegraph has many contacts in England, finds it surprising that Ziyech Ajax has remained loyal for so long. “I really don’t understand that other clubs, not even Manchester City, did not attempt to pick up Ziyech,” the journalist says in a response to talkSPORT. “It is a player who gives the game at the top level an extra dimension.” Van der Kraan understands that a player from the Eredivisie might be skeptical. “Davy Klaassen was Player of the Year at Ajax, but he hardly ever played at Everton. Ziyech is a different story though, because he has already proven himself in Europe. Against Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Juventus, Tottenham and Chelsea In every top match he has been invaluable to Ajax, Ziyech has a certain arrogance, a kind of flair, and he says to opponents: “You can try to take the ball away from me, but I remain in charge.” I am sure that the fans on Stamford Bridge will be carrying him. ”
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Lampard hopes that Abraham will benefit greatly from the arrival of Ziyech
Culture change at Chelsea
The supporters of Chelsea have been quite spoiled since the arrival of the wealthy Roman Abramovich as owner in 2003. Hundreds of millions have been spent in recent years on established names. It delivered the Blues a properly filled prize cabinet. In addition to various national titles and FA Cups, the Champions League and the Europa League were won. The transfer ban of FIFA seems to have caused a change in mentality at Chelsea, whether or not forced. A change can also be observed in the area of managers. Not a very experienced coach with an exorbitant salary, but a young and beginning choice gentleman with an enormous passion for Chelsea. Lampard played in the Chelsea shirt between 2001 and 2014 and grew into an icon of the London club during that period. In those thirteen years, Lampard had to deal with Claudio Ranieri, José Mourinho, Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Guus Hiddink, Carlo Ancelotti, André Villas-Boas, Roberto Martínez and again Mourinho, Managers who generally throw millions at the expense of high expectations at Chelsea.
Lampard has taken a different course so far, although the lifting of the transfer ban can also change that quickly. The former international of England, with 106 international matches behind his name, firmly believes in the qualities of his young players. It is not only Tammy Abraham who is making his breakthrough at Chelsea this year. Due to their strong performances, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori are emphatically in the picture with the English coach Gareth Southgate. In addition, the completely fit Callum Hudson-Odoi seems to have been completely revived. Lampard also realizes that being youngsters can sometimes be erratic in their performance. In addition, with the arrival of Ziyech he wants to respond to the approaching departure of Pedro and Wilian. Both thirties have an expiring contract and seem to be leaving Chelsea after this season. In addition, the list of Ross Barkley, Mateo Kovacic and Christian Pulisic is probably not the dream number ten for Lampard. So a nice challenge awaits Ziyech, who already showed at Stamford Bridge in November what the Chelsea supporters can expect from next season.
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