Chelsea: £100k-a-week star 'wants to leave' Stamford Bridge

Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech definitely wants to leave Stamford Bridge before tonight’s transfer deadline, claims journalist Simon Phillips.

The £100,000-a-week Moroccan has been heavily linked with a return to Ajax, and Phillips says the Dutch side and the Blues are in talks over a potential deal.

Sky Sports recently reported that Ziyech could indeed be heading back to the Johan Cruyff Arena.

While the 29-year-old did start in Chelsea’s recent 2-1 defeat away at Southampton, he is not one of the first names on Thomas Tuchel’s team sheet.

In the last Premier League season, he made the German’s first XI on just 14 occasions, showing that he is not a pivotal member of this Chelsea squad.

Had Frank Lampard, who signed him from Ajax in a £33.3m deal two years ago, still been in charge, things might have been different. But the Chelsea legend has obviously since moved on, and now could be the right time for Ziyech to follow suit.

Phillips has told GIVEMESPORT that Ziyech wants out as talks between Chelsea and Ajax continue.

Speaking to GMS, the journalist said: “Ziyech definitely wants to leave – I was told that weeks ago. I think he’d probably end up being disappointed if he doesn’t get that move. I still expect it to happen, to be honest.

“Ajax, I still think that talks are going on there. In fact, I know that talks are still going on there between Ajax and Chelsea for Ziyech.”

It depends. If Chelsea can sign another wide player before the transfer market closes, then that could help facilitate Ziyech’s move away from Stamford Bridge.

If not, things could become a little bit more tricky, as the Blues have just allowed Callum Hudson-Odoi to join Bayer Leverkusen on a season-long loan.

It has left Tuchel with Raheem Sterling,