Could Chelsea sell Hakim Ziyech to Juventus or Milan?

Stefan Bienkowski

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

Question marks are beginning to pop up around Stamford Bridge over the future of Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech.

While a number of players have yet to nail down a regular spot in Thomas Tuchel’s new-look side, the Moroccan international has been a notable absence in the club’s last three Premier League games. 

Such an omission from Tuchel has spun the rumour mill into life, with Calciomercato already suggesting that Serie A giants Juventus and Milan are now watching from afar with notable interest. 

Both clubs, according to the Italian publication, would take great interest in making an offer for Ziyech this summer if the 27-year-old talent is deemed surplus to requirement at Stamford Bridge. 

Should Chelsea sell Ziyech this summer? 

Ziyech has been a little unfortunate since he made the move to London from Ajax for a notable fee of £36 million. Not only has the winger had to contend with a knee injury that scuppered any hopes of hitting the ground running at Stamford Bridge but he’s also had to play witness to his manager getting sacked and replaced by someone else entirely. 

However, that’s not to say Ziyech hasn’t had plenty of opportunities to prove himself. The winger has featured in 19 games and amassed 1070 minutes of football so far this season. However, in that time he’s only managed to offer two goals and four assists. 

The player himself has admitted recently that his first six months at Chelsea haven’t exactly gone to plan but while a sense of goodwill and patience still clings to the player, it won’t be long before Ziyech will have to start proving that he’s better than Tuchel’s other attacking options to ensure he has a place in this Chelsea squad next season. 

Not only does Ziyech have to prove that he should be starting over other talents like Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi, but it now seems as though he’ll also have to prove to Tuchel that he can adapt to fit into the manager’s current tactics, which seem to prefer wing-backs to more traditional wingers. 

Despite the obvious talent he showed at Ajax, Ziyech may have simply moved to London to find himself the victim of circumstances and factors out of his control. Compared to the aforementioned attacking alternatives, Ziyech is not only the oldest by some distance but also the one with the least amount of potential. And if the club does decide to trim the fat around its bloated attacking roster then the Morrocan may be the first to go.