Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has all but confirmed Hakim Ziyech’s potential transfer move to Chelsea, conceding that he was surprised the club was able to keep hold of him as long as they did.
Chelsea are nearing an agreement for a deal worth €45 million to sign the attacker once the summer window opens.
Should the two sides finalise a deal, Ziyech would become Frank Lampard’s first signing since the former midfielder took over as head coach of Chelsea.
And Ten Hag all but confirmed that talks are progressing well on Wednesday while also revealing that this is a transfer that has been expected for a while.
“Ziyech to Chelsea? A transfer was coming, we expected it to happen,” the manager told Fox Sports. “And I actually already expected this one or two years earlier. And each time it was: ‘Wow, he stayed again’. We are just happy that we will still have him until the end of the season.”
Following Ajax’s run to the Champions League semi-finals last campaign, Hakim Ziyech was one of several players expected to leave the club this past summer.
In the end, Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt were allowed to move to Barcelona and Juventus respectively for massive sums on the heels of their breakout seasons.
This campaign, Ziyech and Ajax sit atop the league, with the Moroccan contributing six goals and 12 assists in 18 league games.
However, they were unable to recreate last year’s magical European run, as a third-place finish behind Spanish side Valencia and Chelsea saw the Dutch side fall into the Europa League.
During the Champions League group stage, though, Ziyech was able to produce one outstanding moment, scoring an incredible free-kick against what may be his next club in the game at Stamford Bridge.
