Hakim Ziyech, the star who led Morocco to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, has left Chelsea to join Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
The 30-year-old striker has signed a three-year contract with last season's Saudi Pro League runners-up. Al Nassr and Chelsea will announce the deal after he completes his medical examination.
Ziyech is Al Nassr's first signing of the 2023 summer transfer window. The club caused a shock earlier this year by signing Cristiano Ronaldo and paying him a record-breaking salary of $75 million per year.
Ziyech will be Ronaldo's teammate next season. Photo: Reuters
Earlier, two other Saudi Arabian clubs, Al Ittihad and Al Hilal, took turns activating blockbuster signings. Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad recruited Karim Benzema and N'golo Kante, while Al Hilal acquired Ruben Neves and Kalidou Koulibaly.
Ziyech is the third Chelsea player to move to Saudi Arabia, along with Kante and Koulibaly. Including the sales of Kai Havertz to Arsenal and Mateo Kovacic to Man City, Chelsea have parted ways with five players. The wave of star players leaving Stamford Bridge shows no sign of stopping as new manager Mauricio Pochettino is determined to overhaul the squad.
Chelsea spent $49 million to sign Ziyech from Ajax in the summer of 2020. The Moroccan striker won the 2020-2021 Champions League, the 2021 UEFA Super Cup, and the 2021 Club World Cup in his three years in England. However, Ziyech's playing time each season did not meet expectations as he was not given a starting place by the managers. Ziyech played a total of 107 matches for Chelsea in all competitions, scoring 14 goals.
In December 2022, Ziyech was one of the key players who helped Morocco achieve a historic feat by reaching the World Cup semi-finals. He scored a goal in the 2-1 victory against Canada in the group stage. Ziyech and his teammates then defeated Ronaldo's Portugal 1-0 in the quarter-finals.
At Al Nassr, Ziyech will be alongside a host of foreign stars including Ronaldo, Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina, and former Brazilian international Luiz Gustavo, as they pursue their ambition of winning the Saudi League next season. Last season, despite having Ronaldo since mid-season, the club finished second in the national league and were eliminated in the semi-finals of both domestic cup competitions: the King's Cup and the Saudi Super Cup.
Duy Doan (according to Daily Mail )
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