Since being handed a rare start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium towards the end of last month, Hakim Ziyech has not appeared for Chelsea.
The 30-year-old was a surprise inclusion in Graham Potter's XI for the Blues' 2-0 defeat to Tottenham in February but he – along with pretty much all of the other players – were far from their best against one of the club's fiercest rivals in Spurs. It was Ziyech's 19th appearance of the season, with the majority of them coming from the bench, with just nine starts to his name in all competitions this campaign. The brutal reality for Ziyech is that when he's stepped out of the starting XI, Chelsea have stopped losing – won three and drew one.
Ziyech has been present on the pitch for just 844 minutes this season, which is less than every Chelsea attacker that has been with the club since the start of the 2022/23 season (bar Armando Broja who suffered a serious injury last year). Even Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is almost definitely going to leave the club in the summer, has played more minutes than the Moroccan.
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It is clear Potter doesn't quite fancy Ziyech for whatever reason and he does not appear to be part of his plans at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea were willing to let the former Ajax winger leave the club late on in the January transfer window with a move to Paris Saint-Germain all agreed but a deal fell through with the French club claiming the Blues sent the incorrect documentation.
After the move collapsed, Potter insisted Ziyech would be an "important player" for Chelsea for the rest of the season but that has not proved to be the case. In fact, he has played just four times since he saw a move to PSG break down in the latter stages of the mid-season transfer window.
It now looks increasingly likely Ziyech will leave the club when the season comes to its conclusion and football.london understands he is still determined to secure a move away from Stamford Bridge. Whether or not PSG come back in for the Morocco international remains to be seen but there's thought to be some tension between the two clubs now so that might not be a realistic destination for Ziyech.
He has not been allowed too much time to shine at club level for Chelsea which makes this two-week international break even more significant for Ziyech. The winger is representing Morocco as they take on Brazil and then Peru in back-to-back friendlies in the coming days.
It's a real chance against world-class opposition in Brazil in particular for Ziyech to prove he still can be an asset for any club that is looking at him, and there's understood to be plenty of potential suitors for the ex-Ajax star. There's no denying the talent Ziyech has and that was something that lured Chelsea after the club scouted him extensively before making the move in 2020, football.london understands.
Having such talent is all well and good but Ziyech has been unable to adapt to three different systems at Chelsea under three head coaches in Potter, Thomas Tuchel and Frank Lampard. The consistency has not been there and with just over two years remaining on his contract, the summer is the time to part ways.
Todd Boehly has been alerted by the club's past mistakes, notably allowing Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen to leave last summer on free transfers, so the American is keen to ensure contracts are not allowed to run down into their final 12 months and therefore lose value on players. Ziyech has a deal that runs until 2025, so this summer is a massively significant one for both parties.
This fortnight could prove pivotal for Ziyech. He showcased his ability in last year's World Cup and will be determined to replicate such form for his country and help himself get a move away from Chelsea when the season comes to its end.
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