Chelsea are reportedly set to turn down Barcelona’s approach for attacking duo Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech ahead of the January transfer window.
According to a report from SPORT, Barcelona are set to face rejection in their pursuit of Chelsea stars Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, with the Blues unwilling to sanction an exit in the January transfer window.
Chelsea signed both Werner and Ziyech last year, from RB Leipzig and AFC Ajax, in big-money moves. However, the pair has failed to live up to the expectations during their spell at Stamford Bridge so far.
Werner was a regular in the side last season under both Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel but struggled to put away chances. His failings in front of goal forced Chelsea to splash a club-record transfer fee for Romelu Lukaku this past summer, with the German international now behind Lukaku as well as Kai Havertz in the pecking order for the No.9 slot.
Meanwhile, Ziyech never really managed to establish a foothold in the starting XI due to injuries and inconsistent performances. The Moroccan playmaker did not regularly feature earlier this season, although Tuchel has handed him a run of starts of late, and the ex-Ajax star has made a decent impression.
Both Werner and Ziyech have emerged as transfer targets for Barcelona ahead of the January transfer window. Manager Xavi Hernandez is keen on bolstering his attacking ranks, having struggled for goals in the ongoing campaign. Ansu Fati has struggled with injuries again, while Martin Braithwaite has also missed a large chunk of the campaign.
With Ousmane Dembele’s contract running out and Memphis Depay fading after a bright start to life at Camp Nou, the Catalan giants are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements. Ziyech is being considered for his ability to play on the right flank and create chances, while Werner’s versatility and pace make him an attractive prospect for Xavi & co., despite his struggles at Stamford Bridge.
Barcelona had initiated negotiations with Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia over a possibility of signing at least one of the two on loan in the January window. And while it initially appeared that the Blues were willing to play ball, it has now emerged that they are set to turn down the La Liga bigwigs.
It is claimed that Tuchel is not interested in offloading two of his forwards and weakening his squad midway through the campaign, considering that the Blues are competing on all fronts. He would only allow the club to let the duo leave if new players were brought in, in their positions, which is an unlikely prospect in January.
As a result, Chelsea will reject Barcelona’s approach for their attacking duo, forcing them to look elsewhere, with Manchester City’s Ferran Torres a key target for the Catalans.