Chelsea have announced that they have reached an agreement with Ajax to sign Morocco winger Hakim Ziyech this summer.
The deal, which is worth an initial fee of £33m but could rise to almost £37m, is subject to Ziyech agreeing to personal terms and will go through when the summer transfer window opens on July 1.
Ziyech will remain with Ajax for the rest of the current season, in which he has already scored ten goals and bagged 16 assists for club and country. His overall record reads 160 games, 48 goals and 82 assists.
26-year-old Ziyech was a key part of Ajax's memorable Champions League run last season and has previously been linked with Liverpool, and will now belatedly move to the Premier League by moving to Stamford Bridge..
"Ajax and Chelsea have reached an agreement for the transfer of Hakim Ziyech," Ajax confirmed in a statement.
"The player will join the Premier League club on July 1st 2020 and will finish the season in Amsterdam. The clubs have agreed a deal of €40 million euros. "This sum could potentially increase to a maximum of €44 million, with variable factors.
"The contract of the Moroccan player lasts until the 30th of June 2022. Ziyech was born on March 19, 1993 in Dronten. He made his debut for Ajax on 11 September 2016 in the match against Vitesse (1-0). The Moroccan international has played 160 official matches in the first team of Ajax and scored 49 goals.
"With Ajax he won the Johan Cruyff Shield this season. Last year he became champion of the Netherlands with Ajax and he also won the KNVB Cup. In 2018, Ziyech was named Dutch footballer of the year."
His creative ability is highly regarded around Europe and he's regularly up there with the very best in terms of goals and assists and will be a huge signing for Frank Lampard, who voiced his frustration at Chelsea not signing anybody in January.
Chelsea managed to get their transfer ban overturned, only to then fail to add to the squad during the January transfer window, but now he's got another attacking option to go along with an already exciting forward line-up containing Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
There is a feeling that Brazilian Willian could be the man to make way in the summer.
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