Hakim Ziyech’s Blocked Loan To PSG
Chelsea are a team under substantial metamorphosis on and off the field. A complete shift in the model, characterized by changes in management, hierarchy, and most notably the players, has meant new co-owner Todd Boehly has spent roughly £450m since taking over the reins of the club.
This winter transfer window alone, the Blues have secured the services of multiple high profile players. A focus on youth products, alarmingly long-term contracts and swift negotiations have been Chelsea’s modus operandi.
They are slowly building the reputation of one of, if not the most active bidder in the market; a team capable of upstaging the odds and signing players at their will.
Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke and Raheem Sterling are the wingers who have come in since summer. That obviously leaves the team stacked with wide players, with potentially just two spots to fight for under Graham Potter’s attacking front three system.
Hakim Ziyech, who has struggled to adapt to the new systems and has yet to find the back of the net this season, was widely touted to leave Stamford Bridge amid uncertainty over his role and relevance in the squad.
In the summer, due in large part to Chelsea setting a higher asking price, he failed to leave and unfortunately for the creative midfielder, performances on the pitch make for sorrowful reading.
As the winter transfer window was set to close, it appeared as though a last minute deal would see the 29 year old joining Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain on loan. However in the days since, the deal has completely collapsed with a fair amount of finger pointing on both sides.
PSG allege that Chelsea sent the incorrect paperwork after the clubs finalized the terms of agreement. Because of the clerical error, Ligue 1 officials were unwilling to ratify the transfer as the required documents were submitted past the deadline.
While the French side filed an appeal to the LFP’s legal committee, the group ultimately voted against approving the move, leaving both sides frustrated, and setting up an awkward reunion between Ziyech and club officials at Stamford Bridge.
Ziyech had already passed a physical and was waiting in Paris for his official unveiling, blissfully unaware of the administrative issues which would ultimately torpedo the deal.
For their part, Chelsea are blaming a “technical issue” as the reason for the loan falling through. Club officials are claiming that they sent the correct documents in ahead of the transfer deadline, however due to forces beyond their control, PSG never received them.
Whatever the cause for the delay, it would appear for now that Ziyech will remain a member of the Chelsea football club. However whether he ever dons a blue jersey for the squad again is another matter entirely.
-Akarshak Roy
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Kirill Venediktov. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.