'Underperforming' Chelsea loanee to be dumped after just five months

Daniel Cabot Kerkdijk

• Updated: 1 Jan 2024 16:41 GMT
• 3 min read

Hakim Ziyech and Galatasaray may soon part ways.

Turkish media reported on Monday that the top club from Istanbul want to terminate the loan agreement with Chelsea for the playmaker.

Although the 30-year-old Moroccan international was quite useful to Galatasaray in the 14 official matches he played in the first half of the season, he had to miss 13 matches due to various injuries and this is deemed unacceptable by the Turkish giants.

According to the latest reports, Ziyech has generally failed to meet Galatasaray's expectations. Only in the Champions League match against Manchester United - the thrilling 3-3 draw - in which he scored twice and provided an assist did he actually excel and that is just not good enough in the eyes of the Turkish decision-makers.

Moreover, Ziyech is part of Morocco's squad for the upcoming edition of the Africa Cup of Nations which starts on January 13 and lasts until February 11, meaning that he will miss even more matches in the next few weeks.

What next for Ziyech?

The question is how Galatasaray can resolve this issue contractually. After all, the loan agreement includes a purchase obligation. English media additionally write that Mauricio Pochettino 'under no circumstances' wants Ziyech's return and that the club would immediately look for a new solution.

In 2020, Ziyech switched to Chelsea from Ajax for €40 million. He was brought to London when Frank Lampard was still the manager at Stamford Bridge. He subsequently played under Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Lampard (again) as coaches.

Although he made more than 100 appearances and notched 14 goals over the past three seasons, he never managed to become an undisputed starting player. After Pochettino's appointment, Ziyech was allowed to leave.

“It [Chelsea] was a period full of coaching changes, nagging with the club management, a departure to Paris Saint-Germain that did not happen at the last minute and it was disappointing in terms of football. A squad with forty players for one team, that is simply far too many and asking for problems," he told Voetbal International last month.

On paper, Ziyech could still leave for another club as he has not yet played for Chelsea this season. According to FIFA regulations, players may play for a maximum of two clubs between July 1 and June 30 and be under contract with a maximum of three clubs.