Chelsea play waiting game after ruling out flop’s sale on specific terms
Chelsea will not let Hakim Ziyech leave without receiving a decent fee – but one of his suitors remains hopeful of a loan deal, according to reports.
Ziyech joined Chelsea in a big-money move from Ajax last summer. He started fairly positively, but was soon disrupted by an injury. From that point on, he struggled to get himself back in contention. His debut Premier League campaign ended with just 15 starts and two goals.
The Morocco international is under a long-term contract until 2025 at Stamford Bridge. However, there have already been plenty of rumours about him leaving just one year into that deal.
AC Milan appear to be his main suitors, as they need to find a way to replace Hakan Calhanoglu. The Turkey international left on a free transfer for rivals Inter, which was a bitter blow for the Rossoneri.
Calhanoglu could play on the right wing or in a central attacking midfield role. Ziyech can also feature in both of those positions, so could be an ideal replacement.
However, Tuttosport have warned them that Ziyech will not be allowed to leave Chelsea on the cheap. After spending €40m on him a year ago, the Blues will not want to see most of that money wasted.
Thus, Milan are having to come up with a new strategy. According to the Italian newspaper, the solution could be for them to take him on loan. However, such a proposal would have to wait until later in the transfer window.
Presumably, Chelsea will be waiting to see if anyone comes in with an offer closer to their demands. If not, their stance may soften towards the end of the summer.
By then, if Milan are still interested, then a loan could help them get their man. But it seems Chelsea will wait to assess all the options before making such a commitment.
Milan retain Giroud interest
Milan have already signed one player from Chelsea this summer, making Fikayo Tomori’s own loan move permanent.
The defender could soon be joined by striker Olivier Giroud, who was expected to move to Milan on a free transfer at the end of the season. However, Chelsea triggered an automatic 12-month extension in his contract to complicate the picture.
Giroud’s entourage remain adamant that Chelsea will let him leave for free if an offer comes along. To that end, Milan could be his final destination.
But Tuttosport have no updates on their pursuit of the French striker, who could fall down the pecking order further if Chelsea sign someone else in his position this summer.
That appears to be a priority task after Timo Werner struggled in his first season at Stamford Bridge.
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