Gus Poyet thinks that
Hakim Ziyech can provide a new reason to watch Chelsea next season but
also believes that the Moroccan may also face difficulties in his early
Blues career after his £37 million (€40m/$43m) move was finalised in the
winter transfer window.
Ziyech
was wanted in January by Chelsea but Ajax were determined to keep their
forward until the end of the season as they were competing on three
competitive fronts. They have since been knocked out of the KNVB Cup and
the Europa League but remain top of the league on goal difference.
Meanwhile,
Chelsea have managed to produce back-to-back home wins for the first
time since November ahead of the break in play due to the coronavirus
outbreak. It has eased pressure on Frank Lampard in the race to finish
in the Premier League’s top four.
Chelsea legend Poyet is
excited to see such a technically gifted player at Stamford Bridge but
he still has reservations about the Morocco international. A host of
players have made the step up from the Eredivisie to the Premier League
but they have had mixed success over the last few decades.
“I
thought last year he was outstanding, every time he got the ball you
thought something would happen with creating chances and scoring goals,”
Poyet told Goal. “He is more individual than I was!
“He is
more direct but he always tries to affect the offensive play of the team
which is exciting for people. When people go to watch football, they
pay to watch teams win but also see something special.
“I
think he is that kind of player to bring something to excite people in
the stands to get people buying tickets. I was very surprised at the
situation where he signs four days after January for next season.
“I
couldn’t get it around my head but people have forgotten about his
signing. In January, people thought Pedro, Willian and [Olivier] Giroud
were going to have an exciting new player to come in.
“Now
we can go through 20 names of players that perform at an incredible
level in Holland with a few playing very well in England but the
majority didn’t. It depends on how quickly he adapts to football and
life in England.”
Aside
from working to sign Ziyech in January, Chelsea were in the market to
sign a striker but they couldn’t get any deals over the line with Giroud
having been keen on a move to play more first-team football.
Chelsea
tried to sign the 33-year-old Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani from Paris
Saint-Germain on a short-term basis in January but they couldn’t agree
on a deal.
Poyet would have liked to see his compatriot at
Stamford Bridge and now thinks he should find a club where he will start
regularly with his contract set to expire in the summer.
“For
sure, I would have like to see him and any Uruguayan players in
England,” he added. “We bring what English people like: that’s passion,
desire and playing to the maximum all the time—every game whether three
o’clock, 9pm, up north or down south or summer or winter.
“There
is always desire and passion which is very welcome in England. It is
important to have these players in England. All I want for Cavani is a
team where he can play up front as the main striker every week so he can
enjoy his football.
“He is over 30, after being in big
clubs and big cities. Now is the time to enjoy his football. He is good
enough to be the main man at most clubs in the world. I would decide on
that but he has to decide for him and his family.”
Share your thoughts