A furious Hakim Ziyech reportedly sent desperate text messages to Chelsea owner Todd Boehly late on Tuesday night to sanction his loan move to Paris Saint-Germain – but he was left frustrated.
The Moroccan international – who starred for his nation at this winter's World Cup – saw his loan switch to PSG break down at the eleventh hour. So confident were all parties of the move being completed that Ziyech had spent the entirety of the day in the French capital to seal the deal.
Ziyech, who had already seen his minutes at Stamford Bridge limited this season, slipped further down the pecking order of Graham Potter’s squad following their January business.
The Blues signed Mykhaylo Mudryk, who arrived in a deal worth up to £87m while they also completed the signing of PSV forward Noni Madueke alongside bringing Joao Felix in on a loan deal for the remainder of the campaign.
Notably, the Blues saw just one major outgoing from their squad as midfielder Jorginho joined Arsenal in a deal worth in the region of £12million. The Italy international had just five months remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge.
Yet Ziyech was expected to join the list of exits from the club as he searched for first-team opportunities elsewhere while also reducing Chelsea's wage bill. However, the move broke down late in the day as the official documentation for a deal was not properly sent by the Blues.
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A report in Sky Sports has now outlined how Ziyech was "incandescent" with the situation and he became increasingly desperate to seal the deal late in the day. This included sending text messages to Blues owner Boehly, instructing him to give the move the green light.
The wide forward was so desperate to seal his switch to the Parc des Princes that he was willing to use his own money in a late move to hasten any formalities. Yet PSG were said to have been sent the incorrect documentation for his deal by Chelsea before the correct copies were then sent – but without the required signatures.
This led to Ziyech's deal collapsing, with the player left stranded in the French capital and dejected at the late turn of events. He will now return to Chelsea for the remainder of the campaign but it is unclear what role he will play for Graham Potter's side.