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Chelsea star who can be 'best player in the world' and wanted by Tottenham told to leave
Chelsea's unhappy star Hakim Ziyech has been told to leave the club so that he can rediscover his best form.
Chelsea caretaker manager Frank Lampard reviews Wolves defeat
Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech has been urged to leave the club this summer to help rediscover his best form after being hailed as "the best player in the world" when playing for his country. Blues hero Frank Leboeuf claims the winger is not happy at Stamford Bridge and should be one of the first players to depart as Todd Boehly prepares to trim their bloated squad this summer, with Tottenham thought to be keen on the winger.
The 30-year-old signed from Ajax back in July 2020 in a £37million deal after emerging as one of the most talented attacking players in Europe with the Dutch giants, earning himself the nickname 'The Wizard' during his time in the Netherlands.
However, Ziyech has struggled to replicate his form for Ajax in Chelsea colours, scoring only 14 goals in 102 appearances for the club. He is yet to find the back of the net this season after playing a bit-part role under Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, with only seven of his 19 games this season coming from the start.
Ziyech may get more game time now that he has been reunited with Lampard, after the Chelsea icon was appointed caretaker boss until the end of the season. But Leboeuf thinks the only option left for the Moroccan is to end his three-year stint in west London after a frustrating campaign.
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When asked which player should leave first, the Frenchman told ESPN: "Well, definitely Ziyech. The guy is not happy, and he wants to work.
"Every time he plays for Morocco, he’s the best player in the world. And every time he plays for Chelsea, he feels sad and lost. So I wish him to go somewhere else where he can show to the world he’s still the Ziyech that we have seen when he played for Ajax."
Ziyech was left frustrated by the club's huge error in the January transfer window after he was denied a deadline-day switch to join Paris Saint-Germain. Having impressed at the World Cup with Morocco, Ziyech looked set for a new adventure in France after PSG agreed a loan deal until the end of the season.
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The winger was present in the Parisian club's offices ready to complete his move when Chelsea sent over the wrong document minutes before the 11pm deadline, wrecking his chances of leaving the club and forcing him to return to London.
He had also been linked with a possible switch across London to join capital rivals Tottenham, who may still keep tabs on his situation if he becomes available for a cut-price fee. And former Spurs man Rafael van der Vaart backed the club to bring in the playmaker to fill the creative void in the side.
Speaking in February, Van der Vaart said: “They're missing something in that number 10 area, and I think the answer is Hakim Ziyech. He's not happy at Chelsea, and I'm a big fan of his. If Tottenham were to bring him in, their problems are solved. I really don't think they need much more.”
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