Hakim Ziyech could leave Chelsea. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
According to football.london, Chelsea are set to miss out on a windfall after AC Milan changed stance on summer transfer target Hakim Ziyech.
The Moroccan has attracted interest from Milan this summer as the Rossoneri are keen on signing a replacement for Hakan Calhanoglu, who left the Italian giants this season.
However, Ziyech’s £34million valuation by the Stamford Bridge outfit seemed unreasonable for the Italian club, who have now shifted their attention to Atalanta’s Josip Ilicic as an alternative to the Moroccan, according to Calcio Mercato (h/t football.london).
The 28-year-old joined the Blues last season from AFC Ajax and was part of a number of players who arrived for a combined fee of over £200million. However, the winger suffered an injury in a pre-season game and missed the start of the campaign for the Blues.
While he did recover from the injury and started playing under Frank Lampard, the Moroccan failed to nail down a starting spot in Thomas Tuchel’s team.
However, things have changed this summer. Ziyech has featured in all of Chelsea’s pre-season games, including scoring a hattrick against Peterborough United and in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.
However, the 28-year-old’s main contribution came last night when he scored the first goal of the game against Villarreal in the UEFA Super Cup final, before being subbed off with a shoulder injury.
His performances have convinced the Blues that he is ready to fight for a place in this team. However, this does mean that Chelsea will miss out on the £34million windfall they would have received had Ziyech left the club. Additionally, given that the Blues have completed the signing of Inter Milan forward Romelu Lukaku for £97.5million, Ziyech’s sale could have helped balance the books to some extent.
Regardless, Chelsea’s attention will now be on Crystal Palace as they are set to face the Eagles for their Premier League season opener.
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