Ajax’s forward and one of the best in the world, Hakim Ziyech, will join Chelsea next summer, the Dutch champions confirmed this Thursday. Although the two clubs have reached an agreement, the flamboyant forward will stay in Amsterdam for a few more months.
$44 Million Paid to Ajax
The four-time Europan champions announced yesterday on their official website that the fee for the transfer is $44 million, but that with all the bonuses, it might rise to $48 million. His current contract with the Lancers lasts until the end of the 2022 season.
Also, the club declared that the player and the Blues are yet to agree on their terms.
Having in mind that Chelsea builds a team for the future, the club from London will most likely offer at least a four-year deal to the Moroccan international, with a substantial salary which won’t go below $5 million per year.
Ziyech played for Ajax since 2016, once he arrived from Twente for $12 million at the time. He immediately became one of the best players in the Dutch titan, establishing himself as one of the most lethal players on the continent. Throughout three seasons, Ziyech played 160 official matches for Ajax and scored 49 goals. However, the number of his assists is maybe bigger, and the overall impact on the team’s results can’t be explained through the stats.
With Ziyech, Ajax won last season’s title, KNVB Cup and the Dutch Super Cup. Also, the Lancers reached the finals of the Europa League, and the semifinals of the Champions League but weren’t able to win some silverware on the international stage.
As for the individual awards, he was the Dutch footballer of the year in 2018, and the top assistant on four occasions. Champions League picked him in the squad of the season 2019.
Chelsea Isn’t Going to Stop Here
Allegedly, the Blues have more than $200 million to spend in the upcoming transfer period.
The top priority for the club from the Stamford Bridge is Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, who is on Lampard’s shortlist for quite some time. The pacey winger, who is one of the most talented players in the world, would be a perfect fit for Lampard’s plans, which include, ultra-offensive style of play.
Sancho’s transfer will most definitely include a $100+million fee, and become one of the biggest in the history of football. Yet, the competition for the Blues is enormous, as Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Manchester United also want this young guy.
Leicester’s Ben Chilwell is maybe a bigger priority for Frank Lampard than Sancho because Chelsea experiences a lot of problems on the left flank. It appears that both Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri can’t meet the expectations.
Boubakary Soumare from Newcastle United is the next one on the list. He didn’t want to leave St., James Park, this winter, although there were some excellent offers for him, he decided to wait for the summer transfer window, expecting to get a much better deal.
