Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech has a point to prove in the Premier League and could welcome a fresh start at Tottenham Hotspur, former Eredivisie ace Johan Derksen tells Today Inside, translated by Ajax Showtime.
It’s been 13 years since a player left Chelsea for Spurs, or vice versa.
But with those frosty relations between the two London giants thawing somewhat in recent times, there is a chance – albeit a slim one – that Ziyech will become the first since Carlo Cudicini all the way back in 2009 to make the short, 14-mile trip from the West to the North of London.
Dutch publication Algemeen Dagblad reported this week that Tottenham, long-time admirers of the mercurial Moroccan, have set their sights on Ziyech again. Antonio Conte reportedly wants a right-footed, left-winger to provide competition for Dejan Kulusevski, with Atalanta’s Ruslan Malinovskyi another option.
And though Ziyech allegedly prefers a return to Ajax, Derksen thinks the chance to show Chelsea what they’re missing may be one too good to turn down.
Will Hakim Ziyech leave Chelsea for Tottenham Hotspur?
“Ziyech was the big star in the Netherlands,” says Derksen. “He actually failed at Chelsea.
“I can imagine that he would prefer Tottenham, because he still wants to succeed in England. If you could play for Tottenham or play against Sparta (Rotterdam), RKC or Go Ahead (Eagles), then you go there (to Spurs), right?”
Ziyech, a £33 million signing from Ajax in 2020, has been linked with a return to Amsterdam with the enigmatic Anthony seemingly en route to Manchester United. And Ziyech could find game time even more elusive at Stamford Bridge if Chelsea secure the £60 million signing of Everton whizzkid Anthony Gordon.
“I’ve been saying that for some time now,” former Tottenham hero Rafael van der Vaart told The Times a few months ago. “but I believe Ziyech is the type of player who could make a big impact in the current Spurs team.
“With a playmaker like him, chances are things will start to go much better. Then Son doesn’t have to go deep to collect the ball and Kane can just remain up front as a striker as well.
“Because they miss someone who can feed them those balls. Now they have to work too hard.”
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