Chelsea could be about to see a reunion between a former manager and player as they look to clean up the playing squad ahead of the Premier League opener against Everton on Saturday.
Thomas Tuchel has made it all too clear that he wants to shake up of the squad with a group of players that want to leave the club, and progress has picked up this week as Todd Boehly shifts into gear to make key additions and subtractions from the current crop.
With exits becoming closer for Malang Sarr, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Ross Barkley, as well as Timo Werner actively seeking to depart as well, Tuchel's wish could be about to come true as his batch of players is trimmed.
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Most of his worries have been in attack with failing forwards including Werner and Christian Pulisic still taking up large portions of the wage bill whilst not offering the levels of output required of them. In the same group is Hakim Ziyech, and he hasn't been short of suitors due to a lower wage and a much lower asking price.
Initially it was believe he was close to a move to AC Milan, though complications regarding the deal structure meant that progress slowed down massively. The Moroccan has been given a lifeline though, according to journalist Nabil Djellit.
He tweeted: "Erik ten Hag wants to sign Hakim Ziyech at Manchester United. It is one of his priorities. But the Moroccan winger is not unanimous within the club."
The 29-year-old winger enjoyed a stellar four seasons under Ten Hag in Amsterdam at Ajax, scoring 35 times in 100 matches and notching 53 assists along the way as he led the attacking force behind the Dutch side's Champions League semi-final appearance.
Ziyech has had less luck in England, falling short of his high creative standards under Frank Lampard and Tuchel due to consistent injuries and a lack of regular game time. Since joining the Blues in 2019 he has only found the net six times in the league with six more assists in two seasons.
The interest of new the Manchester United boss in Ziyech hasn't gone down too smoothly at Old Trafford, though, as directors at the club are said to be aiming to block the move due to the club's interest in Ajax star Antony - another player that Chelsea themselves are interested in.
As a creative player around Europe with a specific skillset, there shouldn't be surprise in the attention that Ziyech is getting and given both parties are willing to go their separate ways, it could be a move that materialises late on in the window. Although how willing Chelsea would be to sell to a direct rival is unknown.
The clubs are already in competition to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong with football.london understanding that the Londoners have usurped United to be at the front of the queue with the Dutch midfielder.
The Blues are already in a strange position with the Red Devils whereby there is standing communication between the club and Cristiano Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes, but United are still standing firm that he is not for sale. A move for Ziyech in the other direction could open talks between the sides that leads to discussions over Ronaldo.
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