Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech is set to join Turkish giants Galatasaray on a season-long loan deal, according to multiple reports. The Moroccan international has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter under Thomas Tuchel and is keen to find more playing time elsewhere.
Ziyech joined Chelsea from Ajax in the summer of 2020 for a fee of around £33 million but has failed to live up to the expectations that his impressive performances in the Eredivisie and the Champions League had generated. He scored six goals and provided four assists in 39 appearances for the Blues last season, but was often left out of the starting line-up or substituted early.
Galatasaray has been interested in signing Ziyech for some time and has reportedly reached an agreement with Chelsea to take him on loan for the 2023/24 campaign. The deal is expected to be announced soon, as the Turkish transfer window closes on August 25.
Ziyech will join a Galatasaray side that finished second in the Super Lig last season and will compete in the Europa League this term. He will also reunite with his former Ajax teammate Ryan Babel, who plays for the Istanbul club.
Ziyech's departure will free up some space in Chelsea's squad, which has been bolstered by the arrivals of Romelu Lukaku and Saul Niguez this summer. The London club is also looking to offload other fringe players, such as Ross Barkley, Tiemoue Bakayoko, and Davide Zappacosta, before the end of the month.
