Chelsea midfielder Hakim Ziyech has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge and is close to joining AS Roma.
According to a report from Calciomercato, 29-year-old Moroccan international Hakim Ziyech is on the radar of Serie A outfit AS Roma. And they are looking to sign the Chelsea playmaker as a potential replacement for Nicolo Zaniolo.
The 23-year-old Italian international has been linked with a move away from AS Roma this month amid interest from Tottenham Hotspur. And the Serie A outfit are looking to replace him adequately. The report further states that Chelsea are open to selling the 29-year-old playmaker to the Italian club instead of selling him to a Premier League side.
Apparently, Everton are interested in signing the former Ajax midfielder as well, and they are prepared to offer €28 million for his services. However, Ziyech is not sold on the idea of joining Everton either.
The Merseyside outfit are currently in a relegation battle, and Ziyech does not want to join a club with an uncertain future. It seems that the Chelsea playmaker prefers a move to Italy. And it remains to be seen whether he can secure his transfer to Roma before the January window closes.
Roma can only sign the Chelsea midfielder if they manage to offload Zaniolo before the January transfer window closes. As per the report, Chelsea are prepared to sell the player for €25 million, and Roma should be able to afford that if they manage to offload the Italian international this month.
Ziyech has struggled for regular game time at Stamford Bridge and is set to fall further down the pecking order after a number of additions in January. The Moroccan international was quite impressive during the World Cup in Qatar, and he has the quality to be a key player for Roma during the second half of the season.
A move to the Serie A club would help him get his career back on track, and Roma would also benefit from his quality in the final third. The 29-year-old is an exceptional passer in the final third, and the likes of Tammy Abraham will undoubtedly benefit from his service.