Barcelona and Chelsea have reportedly begun negotiations over a January move for the Blues’ attacking duo of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner are the subjects of discussions between Barcelona and Chelsea over a possible move in the January transfer window. The Blues would be open to offloading one of the attacking duo this winter.
Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner joined Chelsea in the summer transfer window of 2020 and have since struggled to perform at their optimal levels. Having arrived at Stamford Bridge amid a lot of hype surrounding them, fitness and form issues have plagued the attacking duo, with neither delivering the goods consistently.
While Ziyech has struggled with injuries, Werner has featured prominently for Chelsea since last season. However, neither attacker has been entirely convincing when afforded chances to impress. Ziyech has featured 14 times for Chelsea this season, amassing three goals and three assists in the process.
On the other hand, Werner has three goals and one assist in 12 appearances in all competitions. Most recently, Ziyech was on target and scored the match-winner as Chelsea beat Watford 2-1 in the Premier League on Wednesday. However, the Moroccan playmaker and Werner face uncertain futures at Chelsea, with Barcelona keen on signing them.
Recent reports have indicated that Barcelona’s preference is to sign Ziyech on loan in January as they do not have the funds to secure his services on a permanent deal. The Chelsea ace is a viable target for the Blaugrana, considering he can bring in the chance creation factor sorely missing from their gameplay this season.
As for the interest in Werner, the Catalan giants are in desperate need to sign a striker because star summer signing Sergio Aguero is sidelined after being diagnosed with a heart condition. Meanwhile, Martin Braithwaite is a backup option at best, while Luuk de Jong has been dreadful whenever given a chance to shine.
According to SPORT, Chelsea and Barcelona are already in talks over a possible January move for Ziyech and Werner. However, the Blues will only allow the Blaugrana to sign one of the attacking duo. The positive development for Barcelona is that the European champions are open to negotiating a move for either player, that too on their terms.
So, it remains to be seen if either Ziyech or Werner ends up making his way to Camp Nou this winter or another attacker joins Barcelona instead. With Ferran Torres also on their radar, it might not be surprising to see Ziyech and Werner staying put at Chelsea beyond the January transfer window.
