Chelsea’s £30M Gamble: Ziyech Struggles to Shine at Stamford Bridge

Hakim Ziyech had experienced glory within Ajax for four years. He had helped the Dutch club win the Eredivisie title and reach the Europa League final. In total, he scored 49 goals and provided 81 assists in 165 appearances. Seduced by these performances, Chelsea bet big to bring him to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2020 as part of a 35 million euro contract. But the 29-year-old player has failed to establish himself with the Blues.

He has scored only 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 102 appearances. And, he is struggling to get back on track and amaze Chelsea or the club’s fans. Since the start of the season, he has not scored any goals and provided one assist in 19 appearances, in all competitions. He received a shocking rating of 6.47 on WhoScored for his Premier League performances. He is thus ranked 24th best player in Graham Potter’s team. Due to these poor performances, he is often under fire. Many fans, including podcaster Ryan Whitney, describe him as "lazy".

When Ziyech joined Chelsea, his market value was estimated at 45 million euros (£39.8 million) by Transfermarkt. But in three years, it has dropped to 20 million euros (£17.7 million), a considerable drop of 55%. After the failed last-minute transfer to PSG, the former Ajax star will likely leave Stamford Bridge in the summer transfer window. His adventure at Chelsea has not been the most pleasant.