Ten Hag plans Ziyech reunion at Man Utd: The latest

FT Desk

• Updated: 23 May 2023 09:00 CDT
• 3 min read

Erik ten Hag wants to reunite with Hakim Ziyech by taking the Chelsea benchwarmer to Man Utd in January.

That is according to Calciomercato, which reports that Ziyech has emerged as a key target for Man Utd during the winner transfer window.

United are certain to sign at least one attacker in January after Cristiano Ronaldo saw his contract rescinded last week.

READ MORE: World Cup 2022 most assists: Kane leads with three!

Ten Hag is a big fan of Ziyech, having worked with him when the Moroccan played the best football of his career at Ajax.

But the report adds that a deal won’t be easy as, while Chelsea are open to selling in January, they do not want to strengthen a rival.

Both Chelsea and Man Utd are likely to be fighting for the final Champions League spot this season.

Ziyech has never really looked like a Chelsea-level player since his big-money move from Ajax over two years ago.

Ziyech a revelation at Ajax

The 29-year-old had been a revelation during Ajax’s famous run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, playing a key role under Ten Hag 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.

He has scored only six Premier League goals in two and a half season, delivering six assists.

For such a big team like Chelsea, that is clearly not enough output given his €40 million transfer fee.

This season he has fallen well down the pecking order under new manager Graham Potter, starting just two games in all competitions.

He has not scored or assisted this term.

Ziyech is currently playing in the World Cup in Qatar, with Morocco in a good position going into their final group game to qualify for the last 16.