How Ten Hag and Man Utd disagree over Ziyech signing
FT Desk
- 3 Aug 2022 18:40 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag wants to sign Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech, but he has been left frustrated by the board at Old Trafford.
That is according to France Football journalist Nabil Djellit, who reports that Ten Hag is desperate to sign a right-winger this summer.
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The primary target had been Ajax star Antony, but his price tag of over €70 million has proven to be too high for Man Utd.
Thus, Ten Hag has moved his attention to Chelsea’s Ziyech, who the Dutchman also previously coached at Ajax.
However, Ten Hag’s attempts to sign Ziyech have been frustrating because the board at Old Trafford are not all in agreement over signing the Moroccan.
As a result, Man Utd have not been able to move forward and begin any concrete negotiations with Chelsea.
Ziyech's Chelsea struggles
Ziyech is available for sale this summer, having never really looked like a Chelsea-level player since his big-money move from Ajax two years ago.
The 29-year-old had been a revelation during Ajax’s famous run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019 under Ten Hag, playing a key role in putting champions Real Madrid and Italian giants Juventus to the sword.
Like his ex-Ajax teammates Frenkie De Jong and Mathijs De Ligt, Ziyech has stagnated since leaving Holland.
The 29-year-old has shown his mercurial technical ability at times, but he's shown inconsistencies that were previously hidden in the Eredivisie.
Indeed, from a goal contribution every 85 minutes in his final Eredivise campaign at Ajax, Ziyech managed one every 188 minutes in the 2021-22 Premier League season at Chelsea.
He has scored only six Premier League goals in two years, delivering six assists, prompting Chelsea to listen to offers this summer.
AC Milan are also interested in Ziyech but have prioritised other signings for the time being.
