Transfer News UPDATE: Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech On Verge Of Signing For Galatasaray

UPDATE: Friday, August 18 at 7:45 pm

CHELSEA’S 30-year-old Moroccon international winger is almost a Galatasaray player according to the respected Italian transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano.

He tweeted this afternoon, Friday, August 18: ‘Galatasaray & Chelsea consider Hakim Ziyech deal agreed. All documents are ready.  #Galatasaray Just waiting for signature and then deal completed — Ziyech, expected to travel to Istanbul tonight’.

Galatasaray & Chelsea consider Hakim Ziyech deal agreed. All documents are ready. 🟡🔴🤝🏻 #Galatasaray

Just waiting for signature and then deal completed — Ziyech, expected to travel to Istanbul tonight. pic.twitter.com/R5uZMpliGH

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 18, 2023

After two failed attempts to leave Stamford Bridge in 2023, could this be a case of third time lucky for Ziyech?

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Thursday, August 17 at 11:39 pm

CHELSEA are reported to have agreed a deal in principle for Hakim Ziyech to move to Galatasaray in Turkey.

Should the Morocco international winger’s switch to the Turkish Super Lig be completed then it will leave Mauricio Pochettino with one less of the players that he is determined to get rid of this season.

After failed moves to PSG and the Saudi Pro League so far this year, Ziyech must be hoping for things to finally work out in his favour.

Ziyech brokered a move to PSG in January

A January switch to Paris St Germain fell through at the last minute after the Blues apparently failed to send the relevant paperwork through on time.

Ziyech was then lined up to sign for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia earlier this summer but an old knee injury reportedly showed up in his medical and killed the deal.

Since arriving at Stamford Bridge from Ajax in 2020, the 30-year-old has made a total of 107 appearances in all competitions for the Blues.

He was part  of the Morocco squad at the Qatar World Cup

He played an integral role in his country’s stunning run to reach the last four of the World Cup in Qatar. However, he was not even handed a squad number this season by the new Argentine coach and was not taken on the pre-season tour of the US.

Along with Romelu Lukaku and Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ziyech has been training away from Chelsea’s first-team squad. Fulham are believed to have shown interest in Hudson-Odoi, while the Belgian striker has recently been rumoured to be on Tottenham’s radar as a potential replacement for Harry Kane following his move to Bayern Munich.

Everything will now revolve around medical tests at Galatasaray being successful. The Turks have already been very busy in this summer’s transfer window.

A tweet from Galatasaray’s @tribunGS this evening read: ‘Haluk Yürekli: ‘There is no problem in the health reports of Hakim Ziyech. He passed all the tests. Galatasaray management and the technical committee will decide on the transfer of Hakim Ziyech in a few days. This will be a decision about cost and technique, not health’.

Haluk Yürekli: "Hakim Ziyech'in sağlık raporlarında hiçbir sorun yok. Tüm testleri geçti. Galatasaray yönetimi ve teknik heyet Hakim Ziyech'in transferi konusunda birkaç gün içerisinde karar verecek. Bu sağlık ile ilgili değil maliyet ve teknik konuda bir karar olacak."

— Galatasaray (@tribunGS) August 17, 2023

Among a large number of arrivals, they have acquired Wilfried Zaha, the former Crystal Palace winger, and the Argentinian striker Mauro Icardi from PSG in Ligue 1.