After disclosing his “bond for life” with the former Ajax player, Erik ten Hag gave his opinions on Hakim Ziyech’s future at Chelsea.
After Manchester United’s 4-1 victory against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Thursday night, when the Reds qualified for the Champions League, Ziyech and Ten Hag were overheard talking after the game.
The two were coworkers at Ajax when Ten Hag was in charge of the Eredivisie team, which went on to win the league title and advance to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019. There, they were denied a trip to the final by a stoppage-time goal from Lucas Moura of Tottenham.
As they exited the pitch, Viaplay questioned Ten Hag about his chat with Ziyech. Ten Hag responded, “That is between Hakim and I. Together, we have gone through a lot of wonderful experiences. There is a lifetime bond.
The future of Ziyech in west London is up in the air. The Moroccan is expected to be one of many players permitted to find a new club this summer as Chelsea looks to restructure the roster.
This season, the 30-year-old has only played in 30 games across all competitions due to scheduling restrictions. He has appeared in five of the last 13 Premier League games, all as a substitute.
When an administrative blunder prevented him from joining Paris Saint-Germain on loan in January for the remainder of the campaign, Ziyech was forced to return to England in disappointment and finish the season with the Blues.
It’s likely that he will make another attempt to leave this summer. Ten Hag, his former manager, was also questioned about the winger’s future and feels that he is too talented to spend the majority of the season on the bench.
He has to play every week, Ten Hag continued. A player in that prime, a footballer, must be on the pitch.