Chelsea agree deal to sign Ziyech from Ajax

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Chelsea have agreed a deal for the summer signing of Hakim Ziyech from Ajax.

The Blues must now confirm personal terms with the Morocco winger, who will join Chelsea on 1 July for an initial fee of €40 million.

Both Chelsea and Ajax have confirmed the deal, with Frank Lampard securing his first signing as Stamford Bridge boss.

Lampard and Chelsea were unable to make any headway on recruitment in the January transfer window, leaving the manager frustrated not to bolster his squad.

Ziyech, who was named Dutch footballer of the year in 2018, was one of Lampard’s top targets, however, and Chelsea have moved quickly to lock down a deal for the 26-year-old, which should represent excellent value given market constraints.

“Chelsea Football Club has reached an agreement with Ajax to sign Hakim Ziyech this summer,” read a club statement.

“The move is subject to the player agreeing personal terms and he will remain at the Dutch club for the rest of this season.”

Ziyech has laid on more than 20 goals in each of the last three seasons, already teeing up 21 at Ajax this term. In his 160 matches for the Dutch side, the Moroccan has scored 49 goals.

And Lampard wants the pacy winger to add an extra dimension to his Stamford Bridge squad.

The west-London club had their Fifa transfer ban lifted on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but were unable to capitalise by making any mid-season recruits.

The Blues could still net as much as £150m from Eden Hazard’s big-money transfer to Real Madrid last summer and Lampard wants to dip into those funds to strengthen his youthful squad.

“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 euros, with variable factors.”

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Dean Workman