Everton could reportedly look to sign struggling Moroccan playmaker Hakim Ziyech from Chelsea in the summer transfer window.
Reputed journalist Dean Jones has told Give Me Sport that Hakim Ziyech is the subject of interest from Everton over a possible move in the summer transfer window. Former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is keen on reuniting with the Moroccan playmaker at Goodison Park ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Hakim Ziyech joined Chelsea in July 2020 after a fruitful four-year stint with Ajax, where he was one of the best performers for the Dutch giants. So the expectations were naturally high when he arrived at Stamford Bridge two years ago. But the 29-year-old has struggled to hit the heights of his stint with Ajax, failing to perform consistently in the last couple of seasons.
The Moroccan playmaker endured a frustrating 2021/22 season, starting 27 of the 63 games that Chelsea played, managing a sub-par tally of eight goals and six assists. With things going from bad to worse and Chelsea in the market for attacking reinforcements, Ziyech’s stint with the Blues might end this summer. And his next destination could be Everton.
The interest from Everton is hardly surprising, considering the Toffees have been linked with every Chelsea player under the sun who is young or struggling to perform consistently. Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour are two of the most prominent names to have popped up on Everton’s radar in the last few weeks.
Ziyech has now emerged as a viable target for Everton amid the rising uncertainties surrounding the future of Richarlison, coincidentally a target for Chelsea. While the Chelsea playmaker will not be a like-for-like replacement for Richarlison, he will invariably boost Lampard’s creative options, making him an option worth considering.
Ziyech is currently a freshly-emerged target for Everton, and there is a long way to go before he can become a new member of Lampard’s squad. But with Chelsea showing interest in players like Raheem Sterling and Ousmane Dembele, Ziyech’s days at Stamford Bridge might be numbered.
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Recent reports have claimed that the west Londoners are ready to offload Ziyech in the summer transfer window. In such a scenario, Everton might have a decent chance of landing the 29-year-old playmaker, although the absence of European football at Goodison Park could hamper their prospects.
